Garry Monk: Birmingham City appoint ex-Swansea, Leeds and Boro boss

Garry Monk will take charge of his third Championship side in less than a year, having left Leeds United last May before his six months at Middlesbrough

Birmingham City have appointed Garry Monk as their new manager on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

The 38-year-old former Swansea, Leeds and Middlesbrough boss succeeds the sacked Steve Cotterill to become Blues' fifth manager in 15 months.

"The club is delighted to have secured the services of one of the game's brightest young managers," a statement read.

Pep Clotet, Monk's assistant at Swansea and Leeds, has also been brought in.

Former Southampton, Blackburn and England striker James Beattie also joins the backroom staff at St Andrew's as coach.

Beattie worked with Monk in all three of his former managerial roles but Clotet did not go with him to Middlesbrough, instead taking up the role as boss of Oxford United, from which he was sacked in January.

Former Portsmouth goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan, who also worked for Monk at Leeds and Boro, will be the new Blues goalkeeping coach.

Boro reunion first up for Monk

Monk will take charge of Blues for the first time against former employers Middlesbrough on Tuesday.

Cotterill became the fourth dismissal made by Blues' Chinese owners following Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest - the last three of which have all been Saturday night sackings.

Blues lie 22nd in the Championship, exactly where they were when Cotterill officially took charge on 2 October following the 6-1 defeat at Hull City.

They are just two points adrift of safety, and still have 11 games left, although Monk will initially be working under the same restraints with regard to the strengthening of his squad.

Cotterill last week publicly passed on the blame to Blues' Chinese-run board for him not getting any new players in during the January window. But his two immediate predecessors, Gianfranco Zola, last January, and Harry Redknapp, in the summer, had already spent heavily.

Monk was appointed Swansea manager in February 2014, when he replaced Michael Laudrup. He kept Swansea up, then led them to eighth the following season, but he was sacked in December 2015 following a run of just one win in 11 league matches.

In July 2016 he was appointed head coach at Leeds on a rolling one-year contract, steering them to seventh in the Championship, before resigning in May 2017, two days after new owner Andrea Radrizzani's takeover.

He then took over at relegated Middlesbrough but was sacked two days before Christmas following a victory over Sheffield Wednesday which left Boro ninth, within three points of the play-off places.

Analysis

BBC WM's Richard Wilford

"In recruiting Garry Monk, the Birmingham board have clearly committed to a young and hungry coach. Indeed, committed could be the operative word from both sides, with a three-and-a-half year contract agreed.

"Appointed in the week of his 39th birthday, Monk has already experienced the ups and downs of management after unexpectedly inheriting the reins at Swansea four years ago. He helped them through a relegation battle, and has since narrowly missed the Championship play-offs at Leeds and had Middlesbrough close to the top six before his departure last December.

"His appointment has been greeted very positively by Blues fans ever since the rumours started 24 hours before Steve Cotterill's final game in charge. Crucially the services of Pep Clotet and James Beattie have also been secured, surrounding Monk with the staff that served with him both at Swansea and Leeds. He also has his preferred goalkeeping coach in Darryl Flahavan.

"The size of the task confronting Monk is significant with 11 matches remaining this season. He takes on a squad lacking in confidence and form, and Blues are the EFL's lowest scorers with only scored 23 goals in 35 games. But if he can steer them to safety by May, he could prove to be a very good fit indeed at St Andrew's."