Why Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk has 'moved on' from his spat with former assistant Pep Clotet

It’s difficult to believe that it was as far back as November when dozens of shivering cameramen huddled among one another and faced their lenses towards the Sheffield Wednesday bench.
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They were there because Garry Monk’s comments leading into an unspectacular 1-1 draw with his old club Birmingham City has caused quite a stir.

Monk, still relatively fresh into the Hillsborough dugout and enjoying a run of form alien to the malaise they sit in currently, claimed that he had been betrayed somewhere along the line by new Blues boss Pep Clotet – his former assistant.

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The exact details remain shrouded in mystery, but the cameramen got what they wanted – Monk refused to shake the Spaniard’s outstretched hand.

The images caused an inevitable furore and while Monk suggested the refusal is likely to be repeated at St Andrews this weekend, he insists he has ‘moved on’ from the incident.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s clash, he said: “In terms of that issue there I said what I wanted to say at that time and moved on. That's it. I don't need to revisit that, I said what I felt was honest and open and I move on. I have bigger things and more important things to focus on than that situation.

“That's a situation between myself and him. I'm my own judge on what I feel is right and wrong and I spoke about what I felt I wanted to say.

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“I've done that, I need to move on from that and my focus is away from that, completely. That is what it is and I'm focused on what I need to do to help Sheffield Wednesday and get a result at the weekend.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk claimed he had 'no respect' for his former assistant Pep Clotet back in November.Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk claimed he had 'no respect' for his former assistant Pep Clotet back in November.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk claimed he had 'no respect' for his former assistant Pep Clotet back in November.

Once again Monk wouldn’t be drawn on the circumstances around what had happened between the pair.

“I said what I needed to say at the time,” he said.

“I am my own judge on what is right and wrong and what I view right and wrong is. If people want to discuss and make an issue out of a handshake or anything like that I will let them do it.”