Why losing 2-1 isn't Garry Monk's fault

Two horrible second half displays in a row - but what more could Monk have done?

Well, now I'm worried. I try to occupy the role of the eternal optimist, but two poor second half performances in a row have got me seriously concerned as we're now firmly involved in a relegation scrap. I still think we've got more than enough to pull clear but bigger and better teams than us have been sent down in the past, and we need to be more consistent than we have been in the last two outings if we are to secure our Premier League status for another year any time soon.

Yesterday saw us fly out of the blocks once again, and (as against Crystal Palace) we should have been out of sight within half an hour. The tempo we started at was excellent and with only two minutes on the clock Lamah latched onto a brilliant Bony through ball and cut inside, before curling one across goal and into the far corner of Ben Foster's net. The Liberty erupted and for the next twenty minutes or so the atmosphere in the stadium was as good as anything I've heard in recent times. The football wasn't bad either!

First Bony looked to be through from a Canas through ball but he was flagged offside, then he connected with Lamah's cross but his shot from point blank range was straight at Foster. Anywhere else, and it would have been 2-0 and things may well have turned out differently. West Brom weren't overawed by any means though - by that point Anichebe had already stung Vorm's hands and not long after Foster saved from Bony Sessegnon sliced one high and wide. The warning signs were there, but the Swans didn't heed them. Before half-time Lamah & Ashley Williams would head just wide and over from corners, De Guzman would fail to hit the target from another Lamah cross while Bony skied an effort that had sat up awkwardly. Even Canas had a pop but his volley was very ambitious - he did well but couldn't quite keep it down enough. 

So it was that half time came and it was 1-0 to the Swans, but if I'm honest by the time the ref's whistle blew to halt proceedings I was already quite worried. West Brom had looked dangerous on the break, and as the half had gone on we'd lost control of the centre of the park. Albion's high pressing game saw us drop deeper and deeper, and we'd reverted to trying to break out down the flanks. We'd started so well but given how the first half had ended I felt we needed to up the tempo after the break - sadly something that we failed to do but our opponents did with relish.

Straight from the off Swansea were second best, and second to everything. Sessegnon capitalised on the Swans going to sleep and found space to unleash a pearler into the bottom left corner of Vorm's net, and not long afterwards Michu came on to much acclaim for Jose Canas. De Guzman dropped in alongside Leon and for about five minutes this had the effect that was desired - we managed to push up the field slightly and De Guzman's more offensive leanings meant we were able to shift the ball through the gears without getting bogged down in defensive midfield. 

Sadly though, this didn't last. For me we lost all fluency around this point and hardly retained possession after it. It was a combination of things - West Brom's excellent pressing game, De Guzman's natural inclinations not reflecting those of a natural central midfielder, and Michu's preference to want to latch on to a final ball. We saw the Spaniard trying to orchestrate play in order to arrive at a point where he could strike an effort on goal, but all too often he should have just showed for the ball. He has been out for a long, long time though so it'll take him a while to get up to speed, as well as to familiarise himself with the changes to the way we play that have taken hold since Monk's appointment.

Mulumbu's goal was really, really disappointing. He got to a loose ball in midfield first and drifted past Michu's half-hearted attempt to get to him, before waltzing...actually, it was more like jogging through the Swansea midfield. Leon and De Guzman had drifted apart and he was able to run straight through the middle of them before passing the ball into Vorm's bottom right corner. Great finish, but defensively that goal was horrible. Nobody pressed him, and we're supposed to have three central midfielders! How can a defensive midfielder, nay, THE most defensive midfielder I've seen in the Premier League in years drift through our entire midfield without a challenge being made? That's what Monk will be asking his team in training tomorrow, and he'll no doubt be pretty miffed at the nature of his side's collapse in the second half.

As for Monk though - what more could he have done? Against Palace it could be argued he could have tweaked things a bit more before they ultimately got their equaliser but yesterday I couldn't see much more that he could have done. We were being pressed back onto our own eighteen yard line, so I think taking Canas off for Michu was probably the best move. It's possible bringing Pablo on there would have helped us retain possession (as we simply didn't for the majority of the second half) but with West Brom pressing and getting stuck into us I can one-hundred percent see why Monk brought Michu on. Plus, if he had only brought him on with ten minutes to go after the Swans had conceded in the fifty-second minute fans would have been questioning why he wasn't brought on sooner. 

Lamah picked up a bit of an injury and had to be replaced by Pablo Hernandez late on, while the other sub was Emnes on for Leon once the Swans had gone 2-1 down. I think Monk set the team out right and I don't think he can be blamed for the performance yesterday where we faded consistently from around the twenty-five minute mark on. You could tell by the crowd's reaction that we'd taken our foot off the gas - the first part of the opening period had a real party atmosphere but by half time there had been long periods of almost complete silence in the stadium. I assume the only thing stopping WBA fans mocking this was the fact that they were currently 1-0 down. With hindsight they could have been a bit more confident!

Garry Monk had no managerial experience when he was given the role by the Swans, and the board knew that. He's said, correctly, that all he can do is his best and no-one can doubt that isn't the case. I still believe that he has the ability to steer us away from the relegation zone, but it has slowly become a much more pressing concern. No blame can be apportioned to Monk though. If you get asked to take over at the club you love when they're potentially in crisis, and the people in a position to do so put you in charge because they have confidence in you...well, they're the ones who are supposed to know whether a manager is the right appointment or not, not the applicant. 

It's a massive ask being given a job in such circumstances, and I think aside from the second half against Palace (where we were clearly knackered) and a weird sub or two against Napoli he's done remarkably well. Ok, the results haven't improved since Laudrup's tenure but I still feel we're on the brink of turning a corner. The key now is bouncing back and making sure that the positive changes that were made aren't forgotten, and that the level of performance returns to where we were against Napoli at home, for example. Crucially though, we need to do it for ninety minutes.

We need a good result or two and soon, and hopefully results elsewhere will be kind to us - unlike this weekend. We've got Norwich and Villa to come at home, plus Newcastle, Sunderland & Hull away (as well as games against Everton (A), Arsenal (A), Chelsea (H) & Southampton (H)) and while you might feel we could target some points in the latter four the former definitely need to be the ones we're targeting.

Having said that, next up is Everton away this coming Saturday before we go to Arsenal on the Tuesday and I've got a good feeling we can sneak a point. It'd be just like the Swans to lose and draw the games we should be winning before toppling a supposedly mighty opponent on their patch, but that's definitely the optimist in me speaking again. 

Monk: "Swansea job mine to lose"

Swansea boss nonplussed by Koeman's agent stirring things up

In the past few days we've seen Ronald Koeman's agent publicly stating that he'd be interested in the Swansea job, should it be available in the summer, and it'd be understandable if Garry Monk felt some pressure given a lack of clarification as to his role beyond the end of the season. That's not to say the club aren't within their own rights by not commenting - I think given we could still be pulled into the relegation quagmire it is only prudent they keep their options open, however the boiler-room atmosphere that pervades all Premier League clubs does sometimes lead managers to say things they later regret. 

Tim Sherwood, for example, may already regret comments where he stated "the silence from the board is deafening" regarding recent rumours of a new Spurs boss (Van Gaal), and there've been many cases where a manager loses his cool with journalists prying for a tasy soundbite. Not Garry Monk though. When asked about the Koeman talk, Monk's response was, in my eyes, almost perfect. 

"I don’t care. It doesn’t affect me. What can I do about it? Nothing. You can say it is disrespectful but he probably does not know me from Adam, so he is not concerned about my feelings and I am not concerned about his feelings. This is the agents’ job these days. They are all over football and there will be agents pushing managers and agents of agents pushing different managers. 

“That’s the way it is. If they are thinking there is half-a-chance for them at the end of the season at any club they are going to try and push agents or their managers into doing it. I have to just get on with the job and do it properly. Whatever happens, I want to hold my head high that I have done the job properly and done all I can to take the club forward. That is all I can worry about. 

“The world we live in football is very media-driven. It’s big news. When a manager generally leaves, you’ll get 10-15 managers linked to that job. If I’m going to be here beyond this season, I guess with that not clarified you will always have managers thinking they’ll put their name in the hat to see if it will turn a head. But the way I look at it it’s my job to lose. 

“I assume I am in charge until the end of the season, but we have not had a conversation about the future at all. We talk about the day to day stuff, his thoughts on the games and other things that are going on but, honestly, hand on heart, I have not spoken to him about the future and managing this club. 

“He has told me he is pleased and performance levels have been good, but I am under no illusions that this is crunch time. We can talk about performance levels but you have to have points to show for it. I know I will be judged on the games coming up. That is what I have to do, get as many points as possible, get us safe as quickly as possible and hopefully kick on from there. 

"I've had no deep talks with the chairman, no chats beyond this season. Of course, I want the job - I've been doing my  badges and my connection with this club means I want to manage this club. Whether you get this job six, seven or eight years down the line or now I want to make sure I’m ready for the opportunity. "I think I am but you’re going to be judged by what happens on the football field." Garry Monk

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ronald-koeman-links-disrespectful-insists-6823567?

Some would say that there isn't anything Monk can do about the Koeman talk, but if we continue performing like we have so far in his short time in charge I'd say any talk of prospective managers will quickly fade away. The bird in hand is better than two in the bush and all that - especially if he's producing performances like those we've seen of late! One thing to consider is that according to Koeman's agent he sent an email to Huw & Leigh Dineen, and as yet hasn't had a response. For me while that isn't a public backing of Monk by the Swansea board, it might as well have been.

Monk also commented that Huw Jenkins is "in watching training every day" - I've commented recently that perhaps a sporting/technical/football director would help take some of the strain off Huw, as it can't be easy essentially filling two roles - at most clubs the chairman certainly won't be involved in footballing matters anywhere near as much as Huw is and I do wonder if there's a way of changing it behind the scenes slightly so he's got more time to concentrate on whatever it is he feels he's best at. Maybe I'm just talking nonsense though.

I do feel that since being appointed Monk has shown more poise and composure in his interviews than I'd expected. As captain of the side from the lower divisions through to the Premiership I think he was very much "one of the boys", if not the leader, and a glance at the photos on his Twitter account would further encourage a reputation as a jack the lad type, but every time I've seen him speak he's been confident, assured, and he's made complete sense. 

Even when given tricky questions in the aftermath of adrenaline-fueled games his answers have smacked of honesty, integrity and humility and I think these are the types of characteristics a great football manager should have. I have been so, so impressed by Monk's start to management and I've every confidence he'll be able to produce more than enough results between now and the end of the season to keep us up. First up after our little two-week footballing half-term is West Brom, and it's a really, really good opportunity to put points on the board.

No doubt Garry Monk will feel for Pepe Mel should a Swansea win cost the Spaniard his job, but in terms of improving Monk's chances of landing the job permanently it's massive. He's said he feels the job's his to lose, and I think most would certainly agree with him. Win against West Brom, and he won't be losing it any time soon.

Garry Monk - "Sit down, Solskjaer!"

Monk returns fire after Cardiff boss Solskjaer criticised De Guzman's reaction to Craig Bellamy elbowing him in the head

In what is quite clearly an attempt to divert attention from a poor run of results, we've had new Cardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer come out in the press criticising Jonathan De Guzman.  

"If that was me going down like that, I think my father would have told me off."     

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 

Grow up, is it? Whether or not Bellamy meant it (he did), there's contact and De Guzman had a right to go down. I don't like players going down easily, but arguing he was playacting there seems to me to be the act of a manager desperately clutching at straws, because he knows he's got a real fight on his hands to avoid relegation. Anything he can do to deflect fans thoughts away from poor performances on the field must surely be welcome, as one win and a draw in his first six league games is hardly the kind of form which will keep them up. Ok, they've played United and City in that run, but performances have been poor enough to warrant both concern in Canton and mirth in Mumbles.

It seemed the Swans were going to let his little swipe slide, but Garry Monk doesn't back down - especially when it's one of his own being criticised. One of the things he's clearly keen to do is get the squad back feeling like a close-knit unit - we've always derived great success from an "us and them" attitude and to be honest I'm glad to see Monk hitting back. De Guzman did nothing wrong, and the Swansea boss is right to stand up for his man. 

"Ole should look at his own players before he starts looking at mine. I saw Ole answering the question saying that my man Jon de Guzman made a meal of it. When you receive an elbow in the back of the head and you just go down normal, I don't think that's an over-reaction. 

"In the 35th minute in a corner for them [Cardiff] one of my players Wayne Routledge gets head butted and punched in the face by Kim [Bo-Kjung]. If anything I'd be more concerned about something like that than saying that one of my players is play-acting. 

"If you look at Wayne when he gets head-butted and punched in the face he stays on his feet and doesn't make a meal of it." Garry Monk 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26172344? 

Well in Garry! I can't say I noticed that incident during the match, but you can bet your house that he wouldn't bring it up if it didn't happen. Cardiff "have been asked to comment" on the incident, though by who the BBC haven't informed us. 

Solskjaer having a pop just says to me he's already feeling the pressure of being in charge of the madhouse up the M4. It must seem a long time since he announced his aim was to finish above the Swans...

On one final note, let's have a look at Ole "Always Stays On His Feet" Gunnar Solskjaer NOT making a meal of this challenge by Sol Campbell.

Sit down, Solskjaer.

Garry Monk leads Swansea to biggest derby win of all time

Monk's managerial debut gets off to a flying start at the Liberty Stadium

Garry Monk was always going to be a tracksuit manager.
Photo: +adamnlloyd . 

Huw Jenkins might just be a genius. The buildup to yesterday's derby was the usual fervent rollercoaster of press interest, interviews and the like, but the main talking point was obviously Garry Monk being installed as head coach at the expense of Michael Laudrup. The club didn't make the decision lightly, and to those outside the club it possibly seemed a rash decision, however most Swansea fans seem to be in agreement that something needed to be done as it was starting to look like Laudrup didn't have the answers to the questions posed by competing on three fronts. 

Arise Sir Garry Monk. It's long been known to those at the club that Monk has aspirations of coaching and managing, but few (including Garry himself) would even have dreamed his managerial bow would go so well. Obviously the match could in theory have gone the other way - his appointment has been widely referred to as a risk given his lack of managerial experience, and losing the derby would have been a devastating way to start your managerial career. If that had happened I probably wouldn't be referring to Huw as a genius right about now, but hey - we won 3-0 so right now he's earned that accolade. Since Monk was appointed I haven't met a single Swansea fan who wasn't actually more confident about the derby, and that's why in the short term at the very least Garry Monk was the right appointment, and is the right man for the job.

Yesterday's performance was just fantastic, and a proud return to the football we know so well. Defeat was unthinkable, but in Monk the Swans had a catalyst (not a "Catist" as Jamie Redknapp infuriatingly repeated over and over again on Sky - honestly, how is he in a job?) who was always going to galvanise a group of players who were only really in need of a bit of a kick up the arse. Well, that and a tweak to the tactics. Gone were the inside wingers, and with Dyer & Routledge hugging the touchlines our central midfield once again had room to operate in - something that's been lacking in recent times. 

The team played with a commitment and an enthusiasm we haven't seen in a long, long time, and seemed to once again have confidence and belief in what they were doing on the field. Of late I got the sense that we were knocking it around the back hoping for someone to score a screamer, but from the first minute yesterday we pressed high up the field, harried Cardiff into making mistakes and imposed our football on Cardiff. Monk's post-match comments echoed what we saw on the field - noting that in recent times we've seemed to adapt our football based on who we were playing, as opposed to forcing the opposition to react to us. If yesterday was anything to go by, teams will have a hard time reacting to Garry Monk's Swansea City!

The win moves us up (remarkably) to tenth in the table, and puts a bit of much needed distance between ourselves and the relegation spots. As I write this, Fulham are beating Man Utd which makes things a bit more interesting if it stays as it is, but we'll still remain four points clear of the drop zone, and hopefully we can stretch that even further when we travel to Stoke on Wednesday evening. 

There's a long way to go yet, but early signs are excellent. The team played for Monk from the first whistle to the last, and if we can get anywhere near that level of performance for the remainder of the season we'll be just fine.

Why we have to believe sacking Laudrup was the right decision

...that was a bit sudden wasn't it?

Wow. Despite murmurings of discontent in the last few weeks, I doubt many Swansea fans expected us to part company with our manager yesterday. Rumours were abounding regarding a backroom shake up, with Garry Monk's name oft repeated, but in truth I think we all expected Laudrup to last the course of the season - assuming nothing catastrophic happened on Saturday, of course. Instead, we get an official announcement that we've sacked our manager for the first time in a decade, so clearly the board felt that immediate action was needed to arrest our run of poor form.

Now, there is something to the argument that the fixture list has been a cruel mistress this past year. Even if you discount cup games, we've had a pretty bum deal of it and when you consider our record against teams from the bottom half of the table is W6 D5 L3 maybe things aren't as bad as first feared. I think the problem lies in a perceived lack of ambition, perhaps, from Laudrup and his staff - ever since Laudrup made comments about how the top seven or so PL places were essentially unobtainable we've performed very badly against top teams, and that's possibly one of the factors the board took into consideration before making their decision.

You could argue that the "lack of ambition" argument is flawed by the signings of Marvin Emnes and David N'Gog, who were clearly signings made by the board as opposed to Laudrup, but I think their acquisitions were the result of the situation we'd found ourselves in, with uncertainty over how long the manager would be in charge affecting any decisions we made in the transfer market. I've also seen it pondered on Twitter that perhaps we didn't spend big in January precisely because we were contemplating sacking manager, and with the payoff rumoured to be around £4.5million that could well have proved to be a wise decision.

So, Garry Monk and Alan Curtis are in charge. To be honest, I don't see why they can't do as well as anyone else. Alan Curtis is...well I don't even need to repeat what's so often been said about Curt, he's Swansea through and through. As for Garry Monk, he's made a career with the Swans by continually adjusting to a higher level, but crucially he's done it by using his football brain as opposed to becoming a massively improved footballer. Anyone who remembers Ashley Williams when he first arrived at the Swans will testify that if it weren't for Monk, it's unlikely Ash would be so good at reading the game today, such is the influence the club captain had on the man who's ultimately replaced him.

Garry Monk has constantly proven doubters wrong, overcome injuries and in doing so made himself a Swansea hero. He's not Cristiano Ronaldo, so when he's stepped up he's done it by being aware of his surroundings, playing to his strengths, and sticking with what you know works. Sounds like a winning formula to me, and I see no reason why he can't adjust again to a managerial role. He clearly has a bit of the "elder statesman" thing going on already, and his elevation to head coach will hopefully see us return to a more positive brand of passing football.

As for the derby on Saturday, well the unpredictable just got even more unpredictable. To be honest, I can't see how Monk's promotion can have a negative effect. The team talk will be epic, and the players aren't going to suddenly forget how to play the football they've been playing all season. Similarly, I can't see Monk drastically changing things however I wouldn't be surprised to see some changes to the lineup - depending on who's available. Jonjo is out seemingly, which surely means Leon will come back in for Jordi Amat, with De Guzman continuing alongside him. As for who plays ahead, Pozuelo would get my nod but I wouldn't be averse to the three wingers formation returning for an afternoon (after it was brought up on the latest edition of The JackCast - a new Swansea City podcast). Pablo, Wayne & Nathan are all fit so why not? Let's get at Cardiff and let them know what we're all about. 

This Saturday is an opportunity to kickstart our season, and put a serious dent in Cardiff's bid to avoid relegation. Let's get behind the team and scream them to victory for 90 minutes. One thing is for sure... I can't see Garry Monk staying in his seat for ninety minutes!

David N'Gog? Rhys Williams? What is going on?

Swansea linked with second Championship player as off-field issues hit the headlines

Well, quite a few days we've had eh? Firstly, there was this: link, the Daily Mail reporting that in a training ground bust-up with Garry Monk, Chico Flores had picked up a brick and it resulted in the police being called. Now, there's since been statements from both players via Twitter and the official site stating that while the police were called, at no point did anyone pick up a brick, so someone's fibbing somewhere. The Mail story was based on the eyewitness account of a mysterious passer by "believed to be the mother of a youth team player". If true, why would someone with a connection to the club do something capable of causing so much instability?

Some have pondered whether the bust-up was perhaps partly fuelled by the rumours that the Swans are in for Rhys Williams, Middlesborough's club captain and an Australian international. Capable of operating anywhere across the back four and at defensive midfield, it's his preference for playing at centre-back which could have caused consternation in the ranks, and with both players reportedly involved in the clash also centre-backs it could be that while it wasn't the main factor, it had added a bit of extra pressure to the situation. No-one likes looking over their shoulder, and with Garry Monk returning to fitness the acquisition of Williams would mean we'd have five centre-backs. Too many? I'd say so, even if Monk's playing career is possibly starting to draw to a close.

Is Rhys Williams any good? Honestly - I don't know too much about him but I can't say I've ever been that impressed. I must have seen him play against the Swans at some point in the Championship but he can't have made an impression, and while Boro at one point fended off a £6million bid from Bolton for their captain his star has fallen somewhat - although he's not been helped by a couple of fairly nasty injuries which have kept him out for months at a time. 

Of late, in fairness, it seems he's playing well despite some Boro' fans comments on Twitter ("You can have him" being the gist of most of them), and last week Middlesborough manager Aitor Karanka (when did that happen?!) denied any knowledge of a Swansea approach for the defender. Make of that what you will, but the figure mooted is £1.5million. Honestly? I don't see the point in signing someone permanently in that position right now. Our defence is almost fully fit, it's defenders we need. Would Rhys Williams be a suitable replacement for any of our midfielders? I can't rule it out, but it seems unlikely.

Moving on... David N'Gog. What? Again? It was depressing enough the first time we were linked with him, so hopefully this is just the press regurgitating something on a slow news day. As @Paulleyshon said on Twitter - "N'Nspiring". Personally I'd rather have Darren Pratley back and stuff him up front than N'Gog, who's shown he's consistently average even at Championship level, and why we'd be in for him I don't know. There must be better options out there than him, and if we aren't exploring any our scouting network needs some work.

Yes we need cover, yes we don't want to break the bank, but unless the players coming in are at least as good as those currently occupying places in the squad then we should go with what we've got. Yesterday I was told we're 5-5-2 against teams in the bottom half of the league, and if true that's indicative that once the fixture list thins out and we get players back from injury, we should be just fine. 

Rhys Williams? Maybe. David N'Gog? No ta.

Garry Monk burgled by scumbags

Swansea legend woke up from surgery on an injured knee only to be told his house had been broken into over the weekend

Shocking, just shocking. I'm not one for hero worship, but to me players like Garry Monk & Leon Britton are essentially the royal family. I couldn't give two hoots what happens to the toothy Germans in London (serendipitous timing means I should point out I'm not talking about the German national team), however you mess with players who've given as much to the Swans as either of those two and you've got me (and no doubt countless other members of the Jack Army) to deal with.

He's had watches, laptops and more stolen - including a kitbag with his number (16) on it, along with his initials and the Swansea crest. Anyone in Swansea will be aware of the Swans' branding, and to nick stuff from our club captain's house is akin to a Catholic stealing the Pope's hat from the Vatican. Not on on any level, and you can't claim you didn't know whose house you were at.

Now, I know some would say "but footballers earn loads - it's worse when it happens to someone with no money and few possessions" and I don't doubt that the implications can be a lot more serious than they may be in Monk's case, however it's just such a low thing to do, and this really has riled me. Premier League football, for which Monk & Co worked so hard for so long, has helped pump many millions of pounds into the local community so his contribution to the city can't be ignored too. He literally played through the pain barrier to make sure the Swans made it to the Premier League, and just a couple of years later he falls victim to scummy thieves out for themselves? So, so disappointing. 

The club have released an official statement regarding the burglary:

“Garry and his family are devastated. He has given everything to the club, the local community and the supporters for nearly a decade and doesn’t deserve this.  

“A lot of the items stolen were of great sentimental value and we would urge anyone who knows anything about the robbery to contact the police.’’  

http://www.swanseacity.net/news/article/monk-robbed-1184041.aspx?#tAtuVVZEqWqDPoMQ.99

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 101 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting occurrence number 62130363685. Please, if you know someone who knows something, turn them in - or at the very least get them to return what they've stolen.

Garry Monk hands captain's armband to Ashley Williams

Ex-Southampton centre-back will continue as club captain, with Ash becoming matchday captain

News broke yesterday that Swansea stalwart Garry Monk has handed the armband on to his younger central-defensive counterpart due to his view that the regular matchday skipper should be nailed on to start every week; and by Monk's own admission he's been in and out of the side over the last season or two. 

The decision can't have come lightly, and it's an idea which will have been bouncing around inside his head for a while now. As most will know, Monk has been club club captain for almost a decade, but in recent times when he hasn't been selected to play Williams would instead take the armband, but from now on the captain of Wales will also be the permanent matchday captain of the Swans too:

Monk, Williams & Dwight Tiendalli challenge for the ball

"I just feel it's the right time now - it is a difficult decision. It's probably been one of my proudest things - if not the proudest thing - I've had to do with Swansea City. I know we've had promotions and cups, but it's definitely up there to have captained this club for so long. It's been a real honour.Continue reading the main story“"If the manager thinks I'm wrong then I'll have to listen to the manager won't I? But that's my gut feeling anyway. I'm still going to be club captain but - this is how I personally look at it, I haven't spoken to the manager or Ash himself - I just feel from my experience as captain, that should be the person [Ash]. 

"The continuity should be there, someone that's been there week in week out, which has been Ashley. Obviously when I've not played he wears the captain's armband; I just feel that should continue even when I am playing. It's a decision from myself, things won't change, apart from the armband. 

"Off the pitch I'll be the same, even on the pitch when I'm playing I'll still be a leader and it's just a case of I think Ash deserves to lead the team out week after week. My duties as club captain won't change. I'll still be doing the stuff off the pitch with the boys and in the community representing the club. 

"I proved last season and the season before, I haven't played as regularly as I would have liked, but I've still contributed a number of games and when I've played I think I've done pretty well - That's all I can ask of myself, make sure that I'm fit, ready, look after myself and when called upon to do it right. I've done that so far, so I can't have any complaints with myself. 

"If I couldn't compete at this level, if I was slacking off and feeling physically not right then I'd hold my hand up, I'm honest enough to do that, but I think I've proved the last couple of seasons in the Premiership that when I've played, I've more than competed with some of the top strikers. 

"I probably feel even stronger this pre-season, I feel sharp, I've looked after myself through the summer and I feel fit." Garry Monk

It says something about the man that he's been captain now for about 8 years under five different managers - there aren't many players who could enjoy that kind of longevity, and Monk will go down in history as one of, if not Swansea's most successful captain ever. Despite giving up the matchday armband, it looks like Garry will be hanging around SA1 for some time yet, and boy he's earned the right.