Swansea City has sacked their player-turned coach, Garry Monk after 22 months in charge, following a disastrous league campaign that have seen the Welsh club languishing in relegation zone of the Barclay Premier League.
Although, the embattled Monk was told on Tuesday that he would lead the team one final time against Manchester City on Saturday, club chairman, Huw Jenkins eventually relieved the 36 year old of his duties on Wednesday after unconvincing 40 minutes chats at the Liberty Stadium.
Jenkins in an official statement explained that the decision to pull the plug on Monk’s reign was “made very reluctantly and with a heavy heart”.
“To find ourselves in our current situation from where we were in the first week of September, and considering the drop of performance levels and run of results over the last three months, it has brought us to this unfortunate decision today”.
The statement read further: “Garry took on the job 22 months ago with the backing of everyone at the club. And when you take into account the excellent campaign we had last season when we broke all club records in the Premier League, nobody foresaw the position we would be in at this moment in time.
“Bearing that in mind and the current uncertainty around the club, we felt the situation needed clarity to move forward. It was not a decision we took lightly, especially given Garry’s history and standing within the club. And it goes without saying that we wish Garry all the very best for the future and thank him for his tremendous service, not only as a player over the last decade, but also as our manager. He will always have a warm welcome at this football club.
Monk has served Swansea for 11 years as player and manager and led the club to a record Premier League points total last season and was tipped for the manager of the year award as well as a future England coach. He steered Swansea safe of relegation after taking over from Michael Laudrup in February 2014, before finishing eighth last season.
However, Swansea’s woeful performance this season, taking one win in their last 11 Premier League games, his mid week sack has thrown the club into a coaching crisis. It is not yet known who will lead the side at the Etihad Stadium, with Monk’s assistants Pep Clotet and James Beattie also on the brink of dismissal.
The uncertainty over who would manage the side temporarily is believed to be one reason for Jenkins’ delay in making his decision.
Club stalwart Alan Curtis is tipped to take over in a caretaker capacity, while former manager Brendan Rodgers is top of the club’s wish list for a permanent replacement, although, club sources say they do not expect to re-sign Rodgers – who is considering lucrative jobs in China and the Middle East – but they have not given up hope.
Other contenders are Mark Warburton, Dennis Bergkamp and Gus Poyet, who all have admirers among the club’s hierarchy. Poyet was close to landing the job in 2009 and would be available from AEK Athens for £300,000.
By Olisemeka Obeche