Garry Monk is nothing less than a guardian angel for the Leeds United fans at the time being. For a long long time, the Whites had been struggling in the Championship. Every year, they used to start with the belief that this could be their big year when they finally would get their place in the Premier League back but by January, their season gets almost finished as they neither stay in the race for promotion neither amidst the relegation scrap. But, this season has been different as the Whites are truly in the race for a playoff spot at least.
For Leeds’ flying so high in the Championship, you gotta admire the work Monk has done at Elland Road as well as his excellent work in the transfer market in the summer. Pontus Jansson. Luke Ayling. Liam Bridcutt. Pablo Hernandez. Hadi Sacko. Kemar Roofe. Virtually every move has paid major dividends but the one which has worked in the best possible way for the Whites is the season-loan deal for Kyle Bartley who was brought in from Monk’s former club Swansea City.
Well, Monk was once a teammate of the English defender at the Liberty Stadium and then the manager. He knew pretty well what the 25-year-old is capable of but even he probably would not have thought that the impact would be so big. How often do you see a defender being the lynchpin of the side that too someone who is only on loan? But, Bartley has become one of the most influential members of the Leeds team this campaign.
Bartley has started 24 of Leeds’ 25 Championship fixtures this season and has been a bedrock behind Leeds’ promotion challenge this season. Be it alongside Pontus Jansson or Liam Cooper, he has given an assurance at the back withy commanding game at the heart of the defence.
He has mostly paired up with Jansson in defence and Bartley’s physical presence and Jansson’s heart-on-the-sleeve style of game have worked in sync brilliantly for the Whites.
Keeping in mind that Bartley’s contract at Swansea expires in the summer of 2017, there is very little chance that either the player or the club would want to extend the deal which means that Leeds have the opportunity to keep him at Elland Road without losing a penny.
He is already a cult hero of the Leeds fans and keeping him at the club on a permanent basis would be nothing but an excellent deal sanctioned by Monk.
