Monarch has been in an utter state of confusion since Bernstein left. Crown service dropped, ok faie enough they needed to act like a no frills carrier but they did alinenate many customers who couldnt see why they should pay that little bit extra for basically a no frill service where before they were getting meals, newspapers, etc.
The hard product, the fleet planning is well confusing, one minute they want the 787s so very badly, they advertising them in their in flight magazines years before they were getting them, only then to quitely go cold and get rid of the 787 like if it were a disease.
The 757s are filling a niche on routes that the 321 cannot handle, rangle/payload wise. The 300-600 is at home on short and medium/long, take Banjul? what would that route be without either a 757 or a A300? Monarch is dragging their feet, they know they have to replace those few remaining 757s but are struggling to find an aircraft with the capability. The 321 sort of seems the answer, its just fine and dandy on your 3 hour sectors nut the longer mid sectors, well get all those 220 passengers checking in 2 cases each for their hols, a wind on the tail, a high temp t SSH and well they wouldnt make Man without a tech stop in some cases, very expensive business!"