Chris Sutton: Monk will have had this extreme thought about Wagner after Leeds loss
By Dominic Toner
Chris Sutton believes that Leeds manager Garry Monk would have had the extreme though of wanting to “knock out” Huddersfield boss David Wagner after their touchline brawl.
The pair were involved in a fiery altercation after Huddersfield scored a late winning goal to earn a 2-1 victory at the Kirklees Stadium.
Wagner celebrated with his player immediately after the goal and was bodychecked by his opposite number Monk as he encroached on the technical area of his rival en route back to the dugout.
Both managers were send to the stands following the tussle, which saw both sets of players and staff get involved in what was a hotly contested Yorkshire derby.
BBC pundit Sutton had some sympathy with the Leeds boss following the brawl, but feels he shouldn’t have got involved with his opposite number.
“Garry Monk was probably thinking I would love to knock him (Wagner) out here and that’s why he was restrained I think.,” Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live. “He shouldn’t have done what he did, you have to take it and I didn’t really understand the rant from Garry Monk after.
“We want to see excitement in the game, but in football we’re all big babies, we’re all sore losers and that’s just the way it is, so I can understand how Garry Monk was feeling.”
Monk was known for being a competitive centre-back during his playing career and has clearly kept that edge as a manager.
Meanwhile, Leeds will be disappointed that on the pitch they were beaten by play-off rivals Huddersfield.
The Whites are down to fifth in the league table and their chances of automatic promotion continue to face, but do have a strong eight-point cushion above the teams chasing the play-off positions.
They host Cardiff and Bristol City in their next two games and will be hoping to get back to winning ways.
In other Leeds news, Luke Ayling has sent a Twitter message to the club’s supporters after the defeat to Huddersfield.
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