MONK’S HABITS
Leeds United manager Garry Monk on sticking to his principles
FOR Garry Monk, the turning point in Leeds’ faltering season came when he realised that principles trumped pragmatism.
Appointed to replace Steve Evans in July, the 37-year-old insisted he wasn’t worried about falling under Massimo Cellino’s bloodstained axe.
But, at a club where managerial appointments are generally measured in days, one win from six prompted tales of a swift demise.
Were rumours of a move for Steve McClaren true? Cellino later confided the leaks were just “to keep Garry on his toes”, but amid such speculation it isn’t difficult to see why Monk briefly abandoned his philosophy in search of a quick fix.
Systems were changed, personnel too. “Looking back, I probably was too pragmatic in those early games,” admits the former Swansea manager, whose side have since taken 22 points from a possible 30 to earn a place in the top six and Monk a manager of the month nomination.
“I was thinking too short-term, thinking about the next result. I sacrificed a little bit of what I truly believe in and a little bit of how I truly want my team to play.
“It wasn’t working for me and it wasn’t working for the team, so I changed it. Since then, you can see the fruits of our labour.
“That’s a lesson for myself, but I always had belief in the squad. What they needed was direction and, if we continue playing our way, we’ll always be in a better position than those early days.”
Which is why, when Newcastle visit a sold-out Elland Road today, Monk will be making no special arrangements to counter a rampant side seeking an eighth straight win.
The Leeds boss was full of praise for the table-topping visitors, especially midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, who made the bulk of his 96 Swansea appearances under Monk’s tutelage.
“Jonjo’s got great ability,” he says. “When we had him at Swansea, we worked hard on helping him to perform on a big stage and helping him get into the England squad.
“He thrives on that type of feeling and he’s got that platform at Newcastle. He’s a very dangerous player, but they have a lot of dangerous players.”
Monk also hailed Toon gaffer Rafa Benitez, whose words of wisdom following Swansea’s Europa League clash against Napoli in 2014 have not been forgotten.
“That was one of the best experiences I had in terms of meeting managers after games,” he adds. “I took the job very early and I think Napoli was maybe my second or third game.
“Rafa recognised that and he was brilliant with me. It wasn’t one of those where they shake your hand and say ‘Sorry, I’ve got to catch a plane’. He really sat down and talked for a long time. He was telling me about his experiences as a young manager, giving me a lot of advice.
“We had another good chat at the managers’ meeting in the summer. I respect him highly and his career is second to none.”
Yet, for all the respect, Monk says his side will not deviate from the stylish, passing football which, last time out, yielded a spectacuRAFA lar 3-2 victory over Norwich. “We focus on us,” he insisted. “One hundred per cent. On our football, on our way of playing. If we put that out on the pitch, we’ve shown it is enough to win games against anyone. “I believe in the quality of these players. I believe in our system. We’ll tweak certain things of course, but our game is what matters.” Leeds, whose fans will join the 2,000 visiting Geordies in a minute’s applause for the late Gary Speed, will be without midfielder Liam Bridcutt, missing since September with a foot injury. However, 11-goal Chris Wood will feature despite making a 32,000-kilometre round trip to play for New Zealand this week.