Pundit Kevin Kilbane has hailed Leeds boss Garry Monk.
Pundit Kevin Kilbane has told BBC Sport’s Football Focus that he thinks Garry Monk has stabilised everything at Leeds United this season.
After beating Brentford 1-0 on Saturday afternoon with a late winner from Kyle Bartley, Leeds sit fifth in the Championship table, but still ten points off the automatic promotion places.
It’s now seven wins in the last nine league games for Leeds, and real momentum is building at Elland Road ahead of Leeds’ trip to face Preston North End on Boxing Day.
Leeds United manager Garry Monk before the match
Leeds fans are dreaming of promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since relegation in 2004, and much of that is down to Monk’s superb work since taking the job over the summer.
The 37-year-old was out of work having lost his job as Swansea boss in December 2015, and many were left somewhat surprised when he took the Leeds job given the managerial history of the club under owner Massimo Cellino.
Since Cellino’s arrival at Elland Road in 2014, Brian McDermott, David Hockaday, Darko Milanic, Neil Redfearn, Uwe Rosler and Steve Evans had all lost their jobs in just two years, and Monk was taking something of a gamble by taking the job.
Kevin Kilbane during his time at Hull City
However, Monk has turned Leeds into promotion contenders, and looks to be the long-term manager the club that Cellino has been looking for over the last couple of years.
Now, pundit Kevin Kilbane has told BBC Sport’s Football Focus that he hopes Leeds are on their way back to the top flight, and praised manager Monk for stabilising the club.
Kilbane added that Monk has united the Leeds fans – who he claims were ‘negative’ previously – and has a team playing for the fans, meaning they should be in and around the promotion picture come the end of the season.
“You hope so, don’t you?” said Kilbane. “Garry Monk just seems so level-headed, I know he’s got James Beattie at Leeds as well, who I know well. He’s just stabilised everything, and I think he’s just got a team on the pitch performing for the crowd.”
“I think the one thing that, when I played against Leeds or been to watch them in the Championship, there’s a negative feeling from the supporters regarding the team. Now, he’s united them all, and I think they’ll be fine this season,” he added.
What have thought of Monk’s work at Leeds so far?
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