Garry Monk: Leeds United’s Architect Of Ambition

It was perhaps our biggest high point during an era where as a club, we were starting to go a bit stale. When Garry Monk was installed as manager, the jury was out for many fans, though it wasn’t long before praise started coming his way.

His appointment marked the end of a period of particular instability for us as well, under owner Massimo Cellino with Monk being our seventh head coach in two-and-a-half years, while the season prior, we had finished a disappointing 13th in the Championship.

The summer that he arrived, Monk gave the green light on a major overhaul of the squad, with 22 new signings coming in (both permanently and on loan), with 19 players departing.

Shrewd Signings Formed Firm Foundation For Championship Charge

Focusing on bringing in young, hungry value-driven players, Monk compiled a squad with a nice blend of youth, experience and quality.

Notable loan signings included solid centre-back pair Kyle Bartley (from his previous club Swansea City) and Pontuss Janson, in addition to the experienced Rob Green in goal.

Meanwhile, in attack, Monk added quality, with Kemar Roofe brought in from Oxford United for a cool £3 million and the mercurial Pablo Hernandez (from Swansea) who went on to become a fan favourite.

Despite a poor start to the campaign, with the club losing four of their first six matches, putting pressure on Monk from owner Cellino, this was soon turned around.

Instilling a more solid and well structured side that was defensively improved, Monk utilised a possession based 4-2-3-1 system, with this being key to a promotion push. Crucial to this formation was lone striker Chris Wood who was clinical, finishing as the Championship’s top-scorer that season with 27 league goals and 30 in all competitions.

During this time, Monk’s transformation of the team and its performances as a result, meant that Elland Road turned into a fortress as Leeds achieved an impressive record of 14 home league wins; the best since the club’s 1990/91 title-winning season.

Right at the end of the campaign, the club’s form dipped due to an injury crisis, which meant that Leeds finished just outside of the playoff places in seventh on 75 points, missing out by five points.

Monk’s Surprise Departure

Despite a disappointing end to the campaign, Leeds fans were encouraged about the following season. It seemed as though the club finally had a manager capable of achieving promotion back to the Premier League.

It came as a shock then when Monk unexpectedly resigned on May 25, 2017, merely two days after Andrea Radrizzani completed a full buyout from Cellino.

The reason that Monk cited for his resignation was that he was unable to agree a long-term deal with the club in addition to guarantees regarding its future direction and project. It was reportedly intimated though that Radrizzani was keen to trigger an immediate one-year extension to his current deal before starting negotiations for a longer term contract.

Monk’s record at Leeds stood at 53 games in charge with a notable win percentage of 47.17 percent (27 wins, 9 draws and 17 defeats).

Although there was an abrupt ending to Monk’s spell in charge, he is viewed widely as being a key turning point for the club. He had helped to restore a sense of pride and unity, while establishing firm foundations in terms of a playing identity that was eventually built on one year later with the arrival of a certain Marcelo Bielsa.