Richard Sutcliffe is the Chief Football Writer on the Yorkshire Post, and covered Leeds United during Garry Monk’s season in charge at Elland Road.

HIS arrival came as a pleasant surprise to Leeds United supporters, who had long since grown weary of having to consult Google following the appointment of a new head coach thanks to Massimo Cellino’s ‘scattergun’ approach to running a football club.

The parting of the ways almost exactly a year later also came as a shock, Garry Monk’s departure coming in the wake of a season in which the Elland Road club had re-engaged with the idea of competing towards the top of the Championship rather than merely paddling around in its lower echelons.

Monk’s subsequent appointment by Middlesbrough 15 days later saw that bewilderment turn to anger in many eyes - a point that is likely to be underlined tomorrow by the 38-year-old’s reception on his return.

Such a ‘welcome’ is unlikely to faze the Boro manager. In fact, it is more likely to inspire him, judging by the 12 months he spent in charge of Leeds.

There were exceptions, such as when locking horns with Jaap Stam and David Wagner or even the odd journalist questioning his side’s “identity” early on. But, in the main, Monk’s response to any confrontation would be to keep his counsel and walk on.

He did just that when berated by one supporter, irate at the weakened team selection, following United’s lame FA Cup exit to non-League Sutton United. Monk heard every word but chose not to react.

In private, however, there was a sense that such incidents stoked the fire burning within Monk. An ‘I’ll show you’ mentality that he will be hoping Boro carry on his behalf tomorrow at Elland Road.

As Monk takes his place in the away dugout, his focus will solely be on the coming 90 minutes. But, for others, there will be a sense of ‘if only?’ about the return of a head coach who took Leeds so far only to fall short at the death.

There were times last season when Leeds seemed unstoppable. Derby County, despite the 1-0 scoreline, were swept aside with such contemptuous ease that the high-tempo approach drew favourable comparisons with the days when Howard Wilkinson’s side would go for the throat from the first whistle and invariably have the points as good as wrapped up by the half-hour mark.

Aston Villa and then leaders Brighton also melted in front of both a reinvigorated Elland Road crowd and the Sky cameras to suggest the key to unlocking the door marked ‘Premier League return’ had, at last, been found.

Then, though, it all went wrong. An eight-point cushion on seventh-placed Fulham going into April had, just three weeks later, turned into a three-point deficit. Three goals down shortly before half-time in the penultimate game at home to Norwich City, Leeds’ promotion hopes were over.

So, too, by the final week of May was Monk’s time at Elland Road after it became clear new owner Andrea Radrizzani’s vision for the future did not chime with his own.

It had, despite the costly late collapse in form, been a year of progress for a club previously locked into a cycle of decline. Not, however, that this is likely to cut Monk much slack when he emerges from the tunnel shortly before kick-off tomorrow.