Alex Miller comment: Monk out? Sheffield Wednesday's failing changing room culture should be first in the firing line

The Sheffield Wednesday manager has been honest about the fact that this is his most difficult period in football, that he had never felt so embarrassed as he did on the Brentford touchline on Saturday and that there are ‘deep-rooted issues’ at the club that will not allow the Owls to be successful until they are stripped away.

He’s been honest about his assessment of the characters of bombed-out senior duo Sam Hutchinson and Keiren Westwood, and he’s been honest about the fact that he knows Wednesday’s current run of results have placed him, quite literally, in the firing line.

Monk has been here before. He was sacked as Middlesbrough manager after only 26 matches with the Teesside club in a far stronger position than he finds himself in at Hillsborough.

He knows that in modern football, it is the manager that gets the first bullet.

‘Monk out’ is a trending item among the Wednesday fanbase of late. A run of two league wins in a start to 2020 that has seen the Owls lose 5-0 twice would be enough for many clubs to shake hands and move on.

To date, owner Dejphon Chansiri has held his nerve, but with three fixtures in a week on the horizon – against promotion-chasing trio Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and West Brom – it’s a perilous time for Monk.

Saturday saw the club hit rock-bottom. At least they’ll hope so. Monk’s assessment of the display as ‘weak’ put it mildly – it’s a set of players unable to rouse themselves into any fight.

But in Barry Bannan and Steven Fletcher you have two experienced pros that you feel do care and they could not be more glowing in their description of Monk’s methods.

A dramatic freshening-up is on its way with or without the current Owls boss. This run can’t go on much longer, but it’s time for the club to think long-term and transform that failing changing room.

If not Garry Monk at the wheel then who? A bold decision is coming either way.