Birmingham City had their fanbase in a state of panic yesterday, with numerous reports suggesting that Garry Monk was on the verge of exiting St Andrew’s despite the fine job he has done in the Second City.
Reports from Sky Sports highlight Monk’s strained relationship with the board, following Jota’s move to Aston Villa, which was part of the deal that saw Gary Gardner return to Birmingham on a permanent basis.
Monk seems determined not to resign at Birmingham, despite other concerns over the transfer budget this summer.
In this FLW Six Point Opinion, we tackle the recent news…
Firstly, what’s been going on over the last 48 hours?
“It all sort of came out of nowhere on Thursday morning, with various people on Twitter claiming that Monk was leaving.
“Of course, he hasn’t left and it was all just talk, but reports do seem to suggest that the relationship between Monk and the Birmingham hierarchy is strained, which is never a good thing.”
How much of a blow would it be for Blues to lose Monk?
“It would be absolutely massive for the whole club, you just can’t underestimate the size of the job he’s done there.
“The club was in a terrible state when he arrived, but he’s brought St Andrew’s back together and for the first time in a long time, it felt like everyone was pulling in the same direction.
“Problems have obviously surfaced, and with his future hanging in the balance, there will be a few sweaty palms in the Midlands.”
In terms of the Jota deal, expand why he will have been against it?
“Jota is a really classy winger at Championship level, and although he hadn’t exactly hit the heights expected of him in a Birmingham shirt, he was still one of Monk’s better players.
“Gardner was good for Blues last season and he will be happy with his arrival on a permanent basis, but it’s come at a cost.
“If Monk didn’t want Jota to go, the board should’ve taken that into consideration. A sale might still have materialised, but at least Monk might not have felt like the board were working against him.”
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Can you see anyone else going against his wishes?
“Here lies the problem, Jota was the first to go, but who else might be following?
“I would be very surprised if Che Adams was still a Birmingham player at the start of August, and replacing 22 goals isn’t going to be easy for Monk.
“The 22-year-old will command a higher fee than Jota, but Monk won’t want to lose him, which might bring up this same problem again.
“If Adams’ departure is on the cards, the board will have to approach his sale differently to keep Monk sweet.”
So, how much could that boost his own transfer pot?
“You’d like to think that Monk will see some of that money spent on improving his squad, but we all know the problems Blues had last year and the point deduction that followed.
“So, the board might not throw too much money at the squad, which will be a real frustration for the boss.
“It’s impossible to say really.”
Finally, do you think this is the last we’ve heard of this?
“Things seem to have eased off slightly, and with Monk not wanting to resign, that’s good news for the fans.
“However, Leeds United will be the first to warn them that this might not be the end of the saga.
“He walked out of Elland Road after an impressive year because he didn’t agree with the direction the board were taking the club, and that seems to be the issue here.
“Could history repeat itself? It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him walk.”