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Leeds United and Garry Monk? To the Premier League we ride!

With Garry Monk's appointment starting to settle in, how optimistic should Leeds United fans be?

By MattRobinson88
"and then Massimo said he's never picked the team before, hahahah"
"and then Massimo said he's never picked the team before, hahahah"
Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images

It’s been a few days now that Gary Monk has been sitting in the "hottest seat in football" and the reality that Leeds United have one of the best young coaching talents around is starting to settle in nicely. I think his appointment shows that Cellino realizes now is the time to make that push to the Premier League, so buckle in folks. We ride.

Football is a strange and unusual world, where despair can turn to optimism in the blink of an eye, and that’s what we have just witnessed at Elland Road. Not even a week ago the newfound love of my life Steve Evans had been sacked, we were looking to replace him with Karl Robinson and I was staring at the season ticket offer wondering what the point of it all was.

Now I don’t know if Massimo was ever seriously considering some of the coaches we have been linked with of late, but putting a top 6 promise together with a league 1 coach is sending very mixed signals. A week later however, with Garry Monk at the helm, I am starting to thank my lucky stars that I was foolhardy enough to buy a season ticket before 31st May. All of a sudden, it looks like Cellino does have some sort of plan for this year, and it’s a plan for success.

If we start being linked (legitimately) with one or two big name signings over the next few weeks then someone is going to have to seriously calm me down because the Leeds United we all love, who currently wallow in mediocrity, are on the way up!

I was a real believer that Steve Evans could make a serious fist of it next year. He’d been a good coach for us. But Garry Monk is a different sort of animal. Believing in Steve was optimism, believing in Monk is just plain common sense. In a league where Rafa Benitez and Roberto di Matteo are our rivals, Leeds need a top class manager who is tactically savvy and has genuine coaching ability.

Not only does Garry Monk have those things in spades, he’s also young and hungry and has something to prove. Swansea were fools to let him go, and if he can take Leeds United back to the top flight then he will prove he deserves a seat at the top table.

Garry brings with him not only a surge of optimism but a cool, calm, self-confident persona that is desperately needed at Elland Road. After many coaches who like to talk the talk, I think we are in need of a man who will just get his head down and charge towards success. In his press conference, Garry said:

"I’m not a brash person and I like to do my talking on the pitch. I’m sure you’ll see that in the coming weeks"

This is something that pleases me greatly.

It’s near impossible to tell what Massimo Cellino is thinking or planning for Leeds United, but this is the second big statement he has made in as many months that the 2016/17 season is going to be oh so sweet. At the cost of sounding very foolish in 12 months’ time, I am starting to believe this year can be different.

Now this doesn’t mean I’m a Cellino fan. Far from it. But if he financially backs Monk and lets him get on with his job for the next 10 months, then we may have something special on our hands. Granted those are two big if's, but who would have thought he would appointment someone of Monks calibre in the first place? I’m really starting to believe.

How about you? What do you think of Garry Monk's appointment at Leeds? Let us know in the comments.

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