Garry Monk had the look of a broken man. He takes every defeat to heart but the manner in which Swansea were ruthlessly chopped apart by Leicester to leave them a point above the relegation places might well have been his darkest day yet.
Swansea’s surrender was meek, yet Monk refused to be critical of his players, reiterating the responsibility for a run of one victory from 11 league games is solely his. Admirable as that may be, he is running out of time.
The club’s board are growing increasingly worried by the team’s diabolical downturn since defeating Manchester United in August. Huw Jenkins, the chairman, has remained silent throughout the uncertainty and, although Monk retains plenty of support, this latest defeat is understood to have escalated concerns. Only Aston Villa, bottom of the table, have been beaten since the start of September and with a trip to Manchester City next weekend they could spend Christmas in the bottom three. Monk is not guaranteed to be still in charge for that fixture.
The manager admitted he is worried about his future but will not resign and remains determined to drag the club out of its hole. “I’ve never thought like that,” Monk said when asked if he has considered stepping away. “No one knows the principles of the club better than myself and no one will work harder and fight for this club more than myself. It’s as simple as that. It’s never, ever a question. I will fight as hard as I can because I want the club to do well. I’m fully aware it’s my responsibility.”
Yet pressure can only intensify in the wake of a performance that bordered on shambolic. Swansea were a mess in defence and that was compounded by failures in attack – they have failed to score in seven of those last 11. “Have you got a pair of boots?” Monk asked a journalist who pointed out Swansea had failed to score again – though the bar and a post denied them in the second half.
“Of course I’m worried. It’s not a good situation we’re in. People need to step up to the plate. It’s a precarious situation. We can’t afford to be not picking up results for a sustained period. I believe in those players, in the club and in what I do. You’ve got to trust yourself. It’s not as if I’ve not been working on things to try and rectify the situation.”
Leicester, the league leaders, produced another astounding counterattacking performance to stretch their remarkable run, against a team bereft of confidence and, more worryingly, a desire to work hard when things are going against them. There was an element of fortune about Riyad Mahrez’s first two goals but the visitors were better in every department and a hat-trick was just reward for the winger, who has deserved more plaudits during Jamie Vardy’s goalscoring stretch.
The contrast with Monk’s opposite number, Claudio Ranieri, could not be starker. Leicester’s manager remains coy about his team’s chances of European football, repeating that the 40-point barrier that signifies safety remains their main target, but there was an unmistakeable glint in his eye having accrued 20 points from the last 24 here.
His team are brimming with confidence and it is hard to imagine a defence capable of stopping one of their devastating counterattacks in full flow. Yet the next few weeks will be an acid test. Next up is Chelsea and how sweet it would be for the Italian to get a result from the club that sacked him in May 2004 even if he was playing the significance of it down.
“It’s not important for me,” Ranieri said, but with Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City also to be faced before the end of the year this month could be a defining one. “I want to see how we play against big, big champions. We have to put in a very good performances against these big dogs.”
He was disappointed for Vardy, who failed to score for the first time since 22 August and therefore missed out on equalling Jimmy Dunne’s record of goals in 12 consecutive top-flight games, but had high praise for his striker’s decision to set up Mahrez for his hat-trick when he could have shot himself.
In one sense no longer facing the pressure that comes with incessant talk of records might be liberating for Vardy. He also played a role in Mahrez’s second, which should have been disallowed for offside.
“He’s enjoyed it a lot and he has played for the team. That’s our main mentality. We are a team desperate to be together in this way. It’s not important for him to score a goal, it is important for us to score as a team.” They have done in every game this season – something no other side in the league can boast about.
Man of the match Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)
