When Middlesbrough were relegated from the Premier League in the 2016/17 season, it was clear some serious investment and rebuilding needed to be done in order to ensure they would regain promotion in the 2017/18 season.
Boro chairman Steve Gibson decided the man to be tasked with that job was Garry Monk. The season before Monk had guided Leeds to 7th in the Championship. This was their highest finish in some years. So, Gibson clearly thought Monk would be the man to help Boro mount a strong promotion push.
Gibson also allowed Monk to invest heavily. The Teessider’s brought in 10 new players over the summer. They spent close to £50 mill and broke their transfer record when they signed Nottingham Forest striker Britt Assombalonga for £15 million.
All of this investment in top players such as Assombalonga. And a seemingly smart managerial pick in Monk made Boro favourites to win automatic promotion at the start of the season.
Unfortunately, the season has not exactly gone to plan for Monk or Boro. At the halfway point in the season, 23 games, Middlesbrough find themselves in 9th place in the Championship. They are also 19 points behind league leaders Wolves, a position they were very much excepted to occupy or at least respectably challenger for this season. Middlesbrough are even three points away from the playoffs. Which if you told Boro fans that after half a season they would be 9th in the league, they would have probably laughed at you.
This lead to Garry Monk coming under criticism from many fans for a number of reasons. One of which is that even though Boro are halfway through the season, Monk did not know his best eleven.
He has also been quiet fairly criticised for shunning Adam Clayton. Clayton has been arguably Middlesbrough’s best centre mid for the last few years. And a case could be made for him being one of the top centre defensive mids in the Championship. Despite this, Monk has left Clayton out in the cold as he has even struggled to make matchday squads this season.
Monks poor player management also affected a number of other players. Such as, Dael Fry who after making one mistake was gone from the side for a long time and Lewis Baker who was a regular starter for Boro who then suddenly, like Clayton stopped making match day squads.
Middlesbrough have also been quite poor defensively this season. This is something most Boro fans are not to used to as they have been accustomed to Aitor Karanka’s solid defensive displays. Monk, however, has managed Boro’s defence quiet poorly and has really struggled to get the best out of them.
All of this has lead to many Middlesbrough fans losing all support for Garry Monk. It would also appear Steve Gibson has finally also lost faith in Monk as late Saturday evening it was announced Middlesbrough had parted ways with Garry Monk. This promoted many Middlesbrough fans to jump on Twitter and express their viewpoint. Here is how some of them reacted.
Well, what a shock. Can't actually believe they've gone and sacked him after today. Strange timing it has to be said, but sometimes these things just don't work out. I'd liked to have seen him get more time but it wasn't to be.
Best of lucky, Garry. #boro #mfc #utb
— Ian Smith (@Smithy_MFC84) December 23, 2017
Not sure who's happier our fans or Leeds fans 😂
— Jordan Watson (@jordanwatson26) December 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/AlexMadden__/status/944678726595432448
Well that’s very unexpected given today’s result! https://t.co/iq4h0RvEu4
— Josh Frankland (@_JoshFrankland) December 23, 2017
I think one of the main reasons fans didn’t particularly like Monk was the fact we didn’t see his human side. He had no emotion to fans at full time etc etc. Having a good relationship with fans either as a player or manager gives you abit more time imo
— • (@UTB76) December 24, 2017
Garry Monk axed. After a win. Too little, too late.
— anthony vickers (@untypicalboro) December 23, 2017
HAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAA YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS https://t.co/oXBTdSu2CI
— Chris Cassidy (@CCass6) December 23, 2017
