Cambridge United boss Garry Monk is under increasing pressure at the club following their continuing poor form.
The team’s struggles were highlighted by their midweek 4-0 defeat to League One leaders Birmingham City.
The loss places Cambridge United among the teams with the highest number of defeats across the entire English Football League, surpassed only by Carlisle United, Morecambe, Luton Town, and Southampton.
It also leaves them languishing in 24th spot – the bottom of the League One table.
Cambridge have, though, now decided to part ways with sporting director Ben Strang amid a challenging season that sees the club embroiled in a relegation battle.
Strang, who had been with the club since 2016, was instrumental in their promotion to League One in 2021.
Their poor results forced the club to issue a statement on the future of Garry Monk in October.
The statement declared that embattled boss Monk must have his team ‘in a competitive position’ at the end of the year if there is to be any chance of preserving their League One status.
“There is no sugar coating how poor our results have been,” a club statement read.
“The reasons may be many and varied – and some of the underlying statistics may tell a more positive story – but in the end we all know football is a results business.”
In January, the club announced they would be “releasing additional funds to enable us to strengthen the squad in a number of key areas this January”.
However, the transfer window yielded limited acquisitions.
Two goalkeepers — Marko Marosi a free transfer from Plymouth Argyle who suffered a hamstring injury after two games, and Nathan Bishop a loanee from Sunderland – arrived at the Cledara Abbey Stadium.
They joined free-agent midfielder Ben Stevenson and two young strikers, Dom Ballard and Detlef Esapa Osong, on loan.
Head Coach Garry Monk disclosed that a potential signing fell through due to a failed medical, resulting in no transfer expenditure despite the club’s statement.
Reflecting on the situation, Monk said: “I’ve been fortunate to have had Ben’s support during my tenure. His departure is a significant change, but we remain focused on our objectives.”
The club has yet to announce a successor for the sporting director position.
The challenges faced this season can be traced back to summer transfer activities.
The club made 33-year-old Korey Smith their highest earner, but he suffered knee ligament damage in January.
Additionally, 32-year-old Gary Gardner was signed on a two-year deal but has yet to make his debut due to ongoing fitness issues.
Loanees Dan Nlundulu and Shayne Lavery are both sidelined with serious injuries, and the loans of Vicente Reyes and Connor O’Riordan were canceled in January.
The only transfer fee paid last summer was for Ryan Loft, who had scored just two goals in 35 games for Port Vale the previous season.
This season, Loft has made just 19 appearances, scoring only twice.
Monk has previously managed Swansea City, Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday before joining Cambridge last year.