Monk – It’s A Massive Summer For The Club

The Swansea City captain was speaking as the club geared themselves up for the results of their failure to make the Championship play offs which will most likely start with the loss of several players.

The likes of Darren Pratley, Ashley Williams and Leon Britton are all reported to be exiting the Liberty Stadium this summer leaving a hole in the side that needs to be be filled if the club is to progress from their first two seasons back at this level.

Monk told the Western Mail “It’s a massive summer for the club

“Hopefully we won’t lose too many players and we can keep some of our most important ones.

“There will always be one or two casualties, but it’s important that we strengthen in the right places, that’s massive for the club now.

“The manager, the board and the chairman need to have an important summer and make sure we get the right signings in.

“I expect the money to be re-invested.

“The interest shows how well our players have done this season, they’re good players and deserve to play in the Premiership.

“They might have a chance this summer so it is massively important now to protect the club and make sure we keep progressing every season.

“Whatever money we get, if we are losing those sorts of player, which I hope we don’t, then I hope the club can be strong. You can’t deny any player wanting to play in the Premiership.

“If the club think the offer is right and we lose that calibre of player then you have to replace with the same or even better.

“Those players are not cheap but the club have to realise that we need to strengthen.

“We lost 40 goals from last season, in Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland, and we haven’t replaced them properly.

“If similar things are going to happen, it’s so important that the club replace them.

“The club must keep progressing if we are to keep pushing forward.

“The players want it, the fans want it, everyone wants it.

“To say it’s a massive disappointment would be an understatement.

“We didn’t get what we set out to achieve, and we are bitterly disappointed.

“Blackpool put an unbelievable run together, but we should have been securely in the play-offs and we are not.

“People will say we haven’t done our jobs properly, but I think that commitment and effort-wise you can see once again we have been good.

“How many times have we played well and not got the points we needed because of a decision here and there?

“I would love to get involved again next season and that’s got to be the aim now.

“We are disappointed now but we have got to focus on pre-season.

“We’ve got good players here, we’re a good club who try to play football in the right way.

“We are always positive in our football and try to play forward-thinking football and that philosophy is not going to change here.

“We will make sure that we go again next season.”