Massimo Cellino says he would’ve sacked Garry Monk as Leeds United’s manager in 2017 had he had full control over the club.
Monk spent just one season in charge at Elland Road, guiding Leeds to a seventh placed finish in the Championship, which was comfortably the best season under Cellino’s ownership.
However, having sat comfortably in the play-off positions, Leeds then endured a late season collapse and in an interview with the Daily Mail, Cellino says he would’ve got rid.
Cellino had sold 50% of his shares in Leeds to Andrea Radrizzani in January of that season and so was no longer able to make decisions on his own.
Based on his track record, Cellino would’ve had no hesitation in relieving him of his duties the moment Leeds hit their bad patch, with Monk the seventh manager he appointed in just three years as owner.
Monk delivered Cellino’s only good season
Cellino believes Monk’s personality was a ‘big problem’ with Leeds during that season and insists he would have sacked him if he had the chance.
He said: “If I was 100 per cent in charge of Leeds United in 2017, I would have sacked the coach [Garry Monk] to bring Leeds straight to the Premier League. He wasn’t a good person. That was a big problem with Leeds that year.”
This is yet another strange comment from Cellino given that Monk was the only manager he appointed that came close to delivering any sort of success.
In hindsight, though, Cellino may have been correct as Monk shocked Leeds by leaving at the end of that season following Radrizzani’s full takeover of the club.
Cellino delivered a message to Leeds supporters in this interview with the Mail and while he says he still loves the club, he is one of the strangest owners in the history of the sport.
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