Many believed Swansea City’s sacking of Michael Laudrup was odd when the Dane departed on February 4th 2014. Many believed it was odder that he was replaced by Swans’ defender and previous captain Garry Monk. This was a risk. But this risk has certainly paid off. When Laudrup left the Liberty Stadium, he left having secured Europa League football for the Swans after winning their first major trophy in the club’s history. Swansea’s 5-0 victory over Bradford City in the Capital One Cup Final at Wembley sent the Swans sailing into Europe and gained plaudits for their attractive, passing football. However, as is regularly the case, Europa League football hindered Swansea and in February of last year, after six defeats from eight games and sitting two points above the relegation zone, Laudrup was sacked. Heads turned and eyebrows were raised when Garry Monk immediately replaced Laudrup. From one day taking part in a training session to the next day leading a training session, the man with more than 200 appearances for the Swans has not just consolidated what his predecessor had achieved, but bettered it. Monk was thrown straight into the deep end and he had to steady the ship to prepare his side for his first match, a massive match. It wasn’t a match between two massive teams but a massive match for the two teams. A match where three points are irrelevant compared to bragging rights. A match that means more to the fans than to the players. A match that gets the Welsh blood boiling. Bitter rivals Cardiff City were the opponents. The Englishman led his Swansea side to a triumphant 3-0 win over the Bluebirds. It doesn’t take a lot to pump players up for a local derby, so could Monk pump his players up for the final games of the season to avoid the drop? Indeed, in his next 13 games, Monk and his side achieved Premier League survival after picking up 15 points. Monk celebrated beating the drop by signing a permanent three year contract with the club as manager prior to their final game of the season, a 3-1 win at Sunderland. This was now Monk’s side. He had the summer to put his stamp on the team and on the club. What he’s achieved between then and now has been nothing short of spectacular. He has brought Swansea City up another level. He has improved the passing style they have gained such an impressive reputation for and recruited shrewdly. The 36-year-old has been dealt his fair share of cards that have hindered him this season. Wilfried Bony’s £28m departure for Manchester City is the most high profile of these as well as injuries and Monk finding himself in the spotlight after labelling Victor Moses ‘a cheat’ for diving. Monk has dealt with the challenges superbly and his astute business in the transfer market has gone a long way to contributing to this record breaking season for Swansea City. Monk’s side are just the third team in Premier League history to achieve the double against Arsenal and Manchester United in the same season, have broken their points tally record by nine points and achieved four more wins than they ever have in a Premier League season. However, maybe the most intriguing record heading into the final two games of the season is their highest ever finish in the Premier League. Their previous record of ninth is within touching distance as they breathe down the neck of Southampton. Whether we’ve focused too heavily recently on discussing whether Chelsea are ‘boring’ and watched in bewilderment at Nigel Pearson’s bizarre press conference outbursts or just assumed that the top seven were a dead cert for contenders for the European places, Swansea City have quietly snuck into the picture and are poised to crash the party. Southampton’s poor run of form has led to them at risk of losing out on their fight for a Europa league place. Monk has picked up 19 points in the last 10 games compared to Southampton’s 11 and have won twice as many games in the same period compared to the Saints. With the two sides’ contrasting runs of form, Europa League qualification is a real possibility for Swansea City. If Monk and his men manage to qualify for the Europa League, he will be itching to do it better than Laudrup and continue to prove to other clubs up and down the country that you don’t always have to look abroad for talented managers. With people bemoaning the influx of foreign managers into our leagues, Swansea have shown it’s possible to look closer to home and find a successful manager within the club’s current setup. Swansea Chairman Huw Jenkins had a decision to make when he dismissed Laudrup. He could have either taken a risk on someone with experience or risk appointing a man who knows the players, knows the club and knows the league. We’ll never know which risk was the better one to take, but what we do know is we now have a hungry, young English manager that has been given the chance and has done exceedingly well. THE BOOT ROOM: http://tbrfootball.com/why-clubs-should-take-note-of-swansea-and-garry-monk/? Thought I'd put this up, it's from a Saints fan/Journalist.............
After our first home match after the sacking of ML the Vice Presidents bar was shell shocked at the decision and when rumours starting circulating the lounge that Monk was to be offered the job not one single person I spoke to and this included several well known ex players thought that there was any truth in these murmurings. At our next match we were told that the announcement was imminent, again I doubted this and I must say I was extremely disappointed but in hindsight what a superb appointment it has turned out to be. In saying that there are still a few V P's that to this day disagree with Monks appointment which I find staggering if I'm honest. A new contract will be offered to GM soon and I have no doubt he'll be happy to accept and sign.
"Monk is currently working wonders" please log in to view this image http://www.squawka.com/news/look-aw...-point-this-season/375832#OayVfsClFcgsh1LO.99
I agree that monk has been lucky........He has been so lucky in 36 games that i have never seen anyone so lucky......
Well in the snug bar of the '' Sweaty Sack '' before it burnt down after the unfortunate accident which was due to an over exuberant display of synchronised international morris dancing by the Aberbyyer Morris Association and Buggeroff of Bulgaria , he was known as '' Lucky B%st%rd Monk '' . Just saying like !
I think Monk should get manager of the year, his first season and all, and we have not been out of the top 10 all season, that in it's self is an achievement. Is he the youngest British manager? Surely he has to be in contention..........
He`s got a well balanced amount of pisses me off one game then the sun shines out of his arse the next , next season could see him heading up there with the best or cleaning boots ! good luck lucky
He is in the top 3 manager of the season for sure and it would not surprise me if he actually won it....A future England manager in the making...
Monk has had a fantastic season and in my opinion should win the Manager of the year title. Unfortunately football management is a precarious occupation, he's had an exceptional season this year but we must remember it's just one season. The question is will he stand the test of time in the coming seasons, let's hope so in fact I believe he will, but how many times have you seen managers lose their jobs in their second full season after a fantastic first season. Fans are fickle and have short memories a few defeats in the early part of next season and the knives will be out.
going by the above table Monk is a show in as Koeman had a load of cash from sales. Monk gets my important vote
We all knew he was a leader as a captain, but to make the progress he has made is surpassing everyone's expectations, whether they were a fan or not. I hope both Gary and the club can maintain this. I always hoped for a long term manager that could keep the Swansea progress going, and I hope he is the one! Has he become too marketable? Will he be off leaving us to have a new manager every other year? Well that has also worked for us so far, so may be we can just enjoy the ride.
It's better to keep on having managers that bigger clubs poach than it is to have managers nobody would take off our hands unless we paid them
Monk has 2 years left on his original contract which the club wants to increase with a substantial pay rise as a reward for the way he has turned the club around and made us a winning team....Monk has no intention of going anywhere anytime soon and why would he because if it's not a big club then it would be a backward step....
