Leeds United will not be going up but Garry Monk has been the biggest achiever in the Championship. Here’s why.
Garry Monk manager of Leeds United
Barring an almost impossible series of events Leeds United will not make up the ground on Fulham and sneak into the Sky Bet Championship playoffs on the final day of the season.
The Cottagers are three points ahead of Leeds, but more importantly have a goal difference that is 13 superior to their challengers for a top six place.
It means that after a campaign that promised so much the Lily Whites will just miss out, but that should take nothing away from what Garry Monk has achieved in his first 12 months at the club. In fact it could be the biggest in the division.
This is a big call in a year that has finally seen Chris Hughton guide Brighton and Hove Albion to the Premier League and David Wagner secure a playoff place with Huddersfield Town, but Monk has really had to battle against the odds.
Due to Leeds’ illustrious history many think they should always be gunning for promotion, but since relegation from the top flight in 2004 they have finished in the Championship top half twice; the most recent coming back in 2010/11.
Leeds’ Chris Wood celebrates scoring their second goal
Also, since Massimo Cellino bought the club in 2014 there have been eight managerial changes, with Monk already the longest serving under his stewardship.
Just look at other sleeping giants with unpopular owners, such as Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham (22nd and 21st respectively), and it’s easy to see that during unstable times just avoiding relegation is hard enough.
Monk may not be taking Leeds up just yet, but under the circumstances he has been the division’s biggest overachiever.
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