Beattie may be the new Agnew

JAMES Beattie is expected to join the Boro’s back-room staff in the near future.

It is anticipated that Beattie will come in as first-team coach, which raises question marks over the future of Steve Agnew.

Agnew was Aitor Karanka’s first-team coach and was caretaker-manager when Karanka was dismissed. He is popular with the players but has not previously worked with Garry Monk.

Beattie and Monk built up a strong understanding during their time at Swansea City, where Beattie was appointed first-team coach – with a specific role to work with the forwards – following a spell as manager of Accrington Stanley.

Monk took Beattie with him to Leeds, and the 39-year-old coach is said to have played a major role in Leeds’ dramatic revival last season.

It’s unthinkable that Monk will want to consider operating without Beattie, although the former Southampton and Everton striker will no doubt have the final say.

There are other members of the Leeds staff who could also follow Monk to Teesside, especially as Leeds have just appointed Thomas Christiansen as new boss.

Christiansen may want his own staff in place.

Another possibility is that Leeds’ assistant coach Pep Clotet, a Spaniard who initially met Monk at Swansea when he was appointed academy consultant as part of former boss Michael Laudrup’s coaching staff, could also move to the Boro.

A further possible arrival is Leeds goalkeeping coach Darryl Flahaven.

If Monk wants his own men in place, then this will leave question marks over the whole of Boro’s current backroom staff.