Birmingham appoint Monk as new manager

Garry Monk took over at crisis club Birmingham City on a three-and-a-half year contract last night, with a reunion against Middlesbrough lying in wait.

Monk replaces Steve Cotterill as manager of the struggling Championship side and faces the club who sacked him in December in his first game tomorrow.

The ex-swansea City and Leeds United manager will be assisted by Pep Clotet and has 11 games left to save Birmingham from the prospect of dropping into League One.

Cotterill was summoned for talks with Birmingham’s owners after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Nottingham Forest and dismissed, five months after he replaced Harry Redknapp. The 53-year-old was understood to have been told before the talks that his departure would be confirmed as mutual consent, but was stunned when Birmingham sacked him instead.

It is Birmingham’s fourth sacking since the exit of Gary Rowett in December 2016 and raises further questions over Trillion Trophy Asia, the club’s Chinese owners.

Telegraph Sport understands that Xuandong Ren, the chief executive, is battling to save his job after failing to make any signings in the last transfer window. Darren Dein, the agent working as a highly paid consultant, has also been marginalised.

Cotterill had deals lined up for Preston forward Jordan Hugill, who joined West Ham for £8million, and Chelsea’s Kasey Palmer, who snubbed Birmingham to join Derby on loan. But Birmingham’s transfer activity was allegedly disrupted by an ongoing row between Ren and Dein.

Recent results have forced Birmingham’s owners into making another change and Monk has agreed to take the job. The 38-year-old was sacked by Middlesbrough in December, hours after a win at Sheffield Wednesday, and will face his former club at St Andrew’s tomorrow night.

Birmingham are 22nd in the league, two points adrift of safety.