"Some people might not like them" - Garry Monk on 'difficult' Sheffield Wednesday contract decisions

The Wednesday manager has eight first-team players out of contract at the end of the season and volunteered that difficult decisions will be made in the coming weeks.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday morning, Monk said details over the likely size of matchday squads, the look of the fixture list and how long the season will go on for are all factors that will determine much of his decision-making in the short term.

Regulations have been tweaked to ensure clubs can agree short-term deals with players to see them through to the end of the season.

The Star understands contract offers will have to be made by June 23 and of the Owls players in that situation, Joey Pelupessy has expressed an interest in completing the season should it run beyond the end of his contract.

The Star also understands negotiations have been held with Morgan Fox, Steven Fletcher and Osaze Urhoghide.

Monk said: “The bigger picture of contract players and out of contract players, those are the decisions I have to make in a normal situation in terms of futures of players and the future of the group. My job is to make decisions people might not agree with, some might not even like those decisions, but that’s my job.

“I’ve had to do it constantly for six years, make those decisions. Not everyone agrees with it, but the most important thing is that when I make those decisions I try to make them for the right intention for the future of the club and where I think the squad needs to go and I’ll continue to do that.”

With long-serving players such as Fernando Forestieri, Atdhe Nuhiu, Kieran Lee, Sam Hutchinson approaching the end of their deals as well as star men Fletcher and Fox, Monk also said there were difficult decisions to be made in the long-term vision of the club.

The former Swansea boss has previously spoken about the need for change at Wednesday and has spoken about bringing about a ‘younger, hungrier’ feel to the changing room.

On which players will be kept on and which would be let go at the end of the season, he refused to be drawn to names. What was clear is that he remains determined to forge a new future for the club.

He said: “They’re difficult, some people might not like them, the most important thing is that the club agrees with it and understands the reasons behind it. We try to work in that way.

“That’s part of my job, I have to do that, it will always be with the best intention of moving forward and how that squad needs to look and evolve. That will always be my aim, it’s been my aim since I started management and it’s my aim now.”

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