Craig Bellamy twist an 'absolute joke' - Burnley must target ex-Nott'm Forest boss | OneFootball

FLW's Burnley fan pundit is not happy that Craig Bellamy's move to the Turf Moor dugout has fallen through

The search for a new manager at Burnley has taken yet another turn, as it looks like a move for Craig Bellamy is off once again.

The Clarets have been on the hunt for a new permanent head coach for close to two months now, after Scott Parker left by mutual consent on April 30, following their Premier League relegation being confirmed.

In the wake of that announcement, it was reported that Bellamy was a leading contender for the job, but it was later stated that the Welsh FA were "very confident" that the Wales National Team boss would remain with them ahead of the home European Championships in 2028.

However, just as rumours started to die down, they were reignited once again, with talkSPORT's Alex Crook going as far as to say that a move to Turf Moor for the former Burnley assistant coach was "a matter of when and not if."

In another massive turn of events, Sky Sports reported on Thursday morning that Bellamy's move to Burnley has fallen through, with the Clarets now turning their attention to Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards ahead of the new season.

Burnley fan pundit reacts to fresh Craig Bellamy development

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Burnley's hiring process for Scott Parker's successor has been a bit of a long-winded mess. Pre-season starts in the coming days for a lot of Championship teams, and the Clarets are the only second-tier side without a head coach in situ ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Now, it looks like they're heading back to the drawing board once more, after their attempts to pry Bellamy away from the Welsh national team post were again in vain.

Ironically, the Clarets are now linked with Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards, who were touted as the two likely successors for the Wales job, as it looked so likely that the role would be open in the coming days.

FLW's Burnley fan pundit, Aaron Wright, is understandably not happy with the recent developments in their managerial search, branding the whole situation an "absolute joke."

"If it's true, it's an absolute farce," he said, almost in disbelief. "It's an absolute joke that it's fallen through, and it's also very coincidental that the two we are being linked to now are the two who were linked to replace Bellamy at Wales, should he have come."

If it does turn out that it's between Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards as to who will lead Burnley into next season, Wright stated that he wants the former.

He has, in the past, said that Cooper would be an "uninspiring" choice, but when it comes to the CV's of both him and Edwards, he'd be more confident with the former Nottingham Forest, Swansea City and Leicester City boss in the dugout.

"Out of Cooper and Edwards, 100% I want Cooper. I know you've asked me in the past about him, and I wasn't enamoured with the idea, but he's got a more proven track record," Wright continued.

"He did phenomenally at Forest in the Championship and did very well under the circumstances in the Premier League.

"If he'd come is another thing, but out of the two, 100% Cooper."

Steve Cooper would be a solid alternative option to Craig Bellamy for Burnley

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Cooper has yet to finish outside the top six in each of his three seasons in charge of Championship clubs, leading Swansea to back-to-back play-off defeats before finally cracking the code with Nottingham Forest a year later.

That Forest job saw him transform a team that was bottom upon his arrival in September to one that would secure a Premier League return after a 23-year exile, too, so his Championship CV is a glowing one.

The Premier League is a different topic, but the Welshman did keep Forest up in their first season, and while his time at Leicester ended after just 12 league games, they were outside the relegation zone when he was dismissed.

Right now, though, feelings about his top-flight record cannot be considered, as the full focus has to be on securing a third promotion in as many Championship seasons, and Cooper seems the most apt to oversee that.

The summer at Turf Moor will be marred by their failed attempts to bring Bellamy back as the main man in the dugout, regardless of which alternative route they take. If it is Cooper, though, he'd be a very solid second option.