Garry Monk has clung rebelliously to the tiller at Elland Road this season, and along with his coaching staff has righted a listing vessel in Leeds United.
Overcoming a rocky start to the season, a six-game opening salvo that saw the Whites end up in the bottom three with just four points, Garry Monk and his team have propelled United up the table to the play-off places.
The Whites currently sit in fifth place in the Sky Bet Championship and are five points ahead of Fulham who sit just outside the play-offs on 64 points. With fan enthusiasm buoyed by the Whites lofty position, there is much talk on social media about Monk’s contract, one that only runs to the end of the current season.
To his credit, Leeds United boss Monk has not allowed the precarious nature of his contract to get in the way of the job that he is at Elland Road to do – manage a side challenging for a chance to hit the Premier League – as evidenced by the following tweets from reporter Phil Hay.
No developments with Monk's contract. Says the club are still to come to him for talks but says he's concentrated on the remaining games.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) April 6, 2017
Monk on whether contract talks will wait till end of season: "You'd need to ask the club, I can't speak for them. I'm focused on football."
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) April 6, 2017
This ‘wait-n-see’ line is a consistent one that Monk has played out all season, and every time that the subject has been brought up by journalists keen for an insight into whether the hierarchy at Elland Road will be rewarding the most successful manager of recent times. For Monk it has always been, and will remain forever so, a distinct case of que sera sera.
However, Monk’s nonchalance and relative calm over the situation of his contract is not mirrored by Leeds United fans, many of whom have taken to Twitter to express a degree of concern that no club approach has been instigated.
Leeds United fans and Monk contract concern
As mentioned, Whites fans do have a degree of concern that the most successful manager in recent times is creeping towards the end of the season and a contract that is slowly ebbing away. The performances, barring a couple of aberrations, have been of a much more encouraging tone than any found under previous bosses at Elland Road since GFH/Massimo Cellino took control. It is against this apparent club ‘inaction’ that fans such as the following are railing against.
Radrizzani and Cellino need to pull their finger out and get Monk and his entire backroom a new deal #lufc
— Matt (@MWJS82) April 6, 2017
Anyone else a little concerned. With Radrizzani not seeing Monk as his man. Hope we don't fall into a Birmingham situation. #lufc
— 🙂 (@Max_LUFC) April 6, 2017
https://twitter.com/Luke_Maloneyy/status/850105279832354816
Some Leeds United fans are a little more forthright in their manner of pleading for the club bigwigs to get things sorted.
Give Monk a contract you set of twats
— Dave (@SummerellDavid) April 6, 2017
For many though, it’s a sense of confusion that reigns at Elland Road when looking at Monk and how his contract situation is/isn’t being handled.
https://twitter.com/VidukasQuartet/status/850080536777420800
@andrearadri What's happening? Why has Monk not been offered a big contract already? Why doesn't he know about contract talks? Come on Radz!
— Glynn (@GlynnTQ) April 6, 2017
Why do we think it is that the club hasn't started talking to Monk about a new contract? What possible reason could there be? #lufc
— Brian Bearhope (@beenie0128) April 6, 2017
