Planet Swans ArchivesFor a player who missed much of last season through injury, Monk has been a revelation this season and certainly been amongst the leading lights at Swansea throughout the promotion winning campaign. Since returning to the side back in August, Monk has been an example for all to follow and it will be no total co-incidence that their recent slump in form has been at the same time as Monk's absence from the side.
And as he prepares for his team's last home match of the season against Leyton Orient he should also be preparing for one of the greatest moment's of his career – the lifting of a Championship winning trophy. But that privilege has been taken away from him by the league's handling of the Leeds affair and the fact that despite the fact the Swans could be undisputed Champions tomorrow, the league will not be bringing the trophy to the Liberty for the fans to celebrate with.
Defeat for Leeds at Yeovil tonight coupled with a Swans victory tomorrow would see the Swans finally 110% confirmed as champions of League One but that is not enough for the league to decide to bring the trophy to the Liberty and as such Monk will be denied something he dreamed of last summer – lifting a trophy in front of his own supporters.
"I spent all of last summer training on my own," Monk told the Evening Post.
"I was back home in Torquay training and all the time I was thinking about having a good season myself and then lifting the league trophy at the end of it.
"I know people always say they've had dreams and all that, but I really did envisage it happening.
"I played it through in my mind.
"So to get to a stage where you think you've earned the chance to do it and then find out you can't is hard.
"How many things do you win in football? Not many.
"To win a league title is incredibly hard and yet they're practically taking it away from us.
"That's hurtful to the players, and it's a shame that we're going to miss out on lifting the trophy in front of our fans because that's what it's all about.
"Apparently," grumbles Monk, "we won't get the trophy tomorrow even if Leeds lose at Yeovil tonight and then we win, which would guarantee the title whatever happens with their 15-point penalty.
"That seems strange to me, and it makes you wonder if the League know something we don't.
"It's a ridiculous situation. You name any other league or any other time where this will happen,'' he added.
"We are probably the only team who have ever won their league and can't celebrate it properly."
"Not all the boys agree with me, but the way I see it is that we've got to win the title all over again and I want to finish more than 15 points above Leeds," he says.
"We have been the best team in this league football-wise, and we proved we can play Leeds off the park when we beat them with 10 men.
"But I would still like to win these last two games just to put everything beyond doubt.
