Garry Monk is set to take over at crisis club Birmingham City in the next 24 hours, with a reunion against Middlesbrough lying in wait. Monk will replace Steve Cotterill as manager of the struggling Championship club and is facing Middlesbrough – the club who sacked him in December – in his first game on Tuesday night. The former Swansea and Leeds manager will be assisted by Pep Clotet and has 11 games remaining 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 to 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 controversial exit of Gary Rowett in December 2016 and raises further questions over Trillion Trophy Asia, the club's Chinese owners. Telegraph Sport understands that chief executive Xuandong Ren is also battling to save his job after failing to make any transfer signings in the January 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 £8m, and Chelsea attacker 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 in the boardroom, leaving Cotterill unable to make any additions. Recent results have now forced Birmingham's owners into making another change and Monk has agreed to take the job. Monk, 38, was sacked by Middlesbrough in December, hours after a win at Sheffield Wednesday, and will face his former club at St. Andrew's on Tuesday. Birmingham are 22nd in the league and two points adrift of safety after the defeat at Forest, their fifth in a row.
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