New head coach Garry Monk has been very complimentary about Il Presidente so far, but let’s hope he feels the same way in a few months time.

The 37-year-old’s appointment was confirmed yesterday, and this afternoon he held his first press conference at Elland Road. And he is obviously under the impression that Cellino will be taking a step back and leaving him to run the team, without any interference.

“Having spoken to the owner, it wasn’t even a discussion. It wasn’t even part of the questioning or thought process. He made that very clear from the very start, that he’s never done that in the past and that he doesn’t have any intention of doing that in the future.”

“He wants to work with me. I felt a really good connection straight away with him and everyone at this club in this short space of time. We will be working together, we will be on the same page with the same focus and we will stay focused on that.”

And earlier in the day Monk told LUTV "Speaking to the owner, seeing his knowledge, and his passion for this club, the ambition he has, it ties in with what I want to do, I want to be challenged. The passion of the fans, the history and the ambition of the owner all ties in with what I wanted to do.”

“I’m extremely honoured to join Leeds United Football Club — we all know the history of the club and the standing it has in English football. It feels great to be here.” And to continue the love-in, Cellino was equally complimentary about the man he’s just appointed.

“Garry is part of a new generation of coaches in England and has a lot of potential to develop, which is something we were targeting for the new season. I believe he’s very suited to continuing the growth of our young and improving team. He was a fighter as a player and now he’s the same as a manager - as we saw when he did very well at Swansea City.”

Monk is certainly correct that working for Cellino will be a challenge, but it’s a bit naïve to think that Cellino has never interfered in first team affairs. We remember the job-lot of Italians he bought when he first arrived, the pressure to select or not select certain players, and his efforts to undermine at least one of his former head coaches.

We hope that Cellino keeps his word and allows Monk to develop the side, but I remember his description of Steve Evans as a ‘fighter’ when the scot was first appointed, and it didn’t do him much good in the end. And Evans was always complementary about Cellino, at least in public, though eventually found that the admiration went only one way.

We can only expect Monk to praise Cellino when he’s just got the job, and let’s face it, few of us can get away with slagging off our boss. And he’s right about Cellino’s enthusiasm, it’s just that his enthusiasm is so rarely channelled into anything constructive.

Monk has almost recharged my optimism for the new season, but this time last year I was similarly enthused by the appointment of Rosler, and we know how that worked out. As ever under Cellino, we hope for the best under the latest new coach, but have to we fear the worst.

Photo: Action Images

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