The new Middlesbrough manager has been speaking about his reasons for leaving Leeds United last month.
Former Leeds United manager Garry Monk has been speaking to reporters during his first press conference since taking charge at Middlesbrough, with some of those comments later published by the Northern Echo.
While the Whites fell short of a play-off place last season they came very close, with only a late slump and a Fulham surge seeing Leeds finish seventh, and with the right signings this summer the next campaign was expected to be a successful one under Monk.
Not so now, with the former Swansea City boss resigning in May and subsequently taking charge at recently relegated Boro.
That means he will head back to Elland Road in the visitors’ dugout next season, not that he seems worried by the prospect.
As quoted by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Leon Wobschall, when asked about the reception back at his former club Monk simply said, “It doesn’t matter.”
New sole Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani was expected to offer Monk a fresh deal in a bid to bring some stability to the club after years of changes in personnel with each new campaign, but this time it was the manager himself who jumped ship despite an offer being on the table.
“I sat down and discussed with Leeds what that new structure would be, and to be honest it wasn’t right for me,” Monk told the Northern Echo. “There were things that didn’t suit me, so I made that decision.”
We may never know what specifically did not suit Monk but he is now preparing for a new challenge with Middesbrough, while Leeds continue a manager search their fans will be hoping does not run and run.
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