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Brum Sack Gary Monk.

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Analysis

BBC WM's Richard Wilford

Rumours had been rife over the past 10 days that the relationship between Birmingham City's owners and Monk had become strained, and yet his departure remains a shocking turn of events.

After guiding the club to Championship safety, overcoming their nine-point penalty for the club's previous financial excesses, Monk was expected to build on his relative success without the hindrance of the transfer embargo and with a chance to bring in his own preferred players.

It appears his teambuilding plans were not to the satisfaction of chief executive Xuandong Ren and the owners Trillion Trophy Asia who are calling for a change in "footballing philosophy".

For the club's fans, who had embraced the Monk era warmly, this is horribly reminiscent of Gary Rowett's sudden departure, when Birmingham were in the Championship's upper reaches, and his ill-fated replacement by Gianfranco Zola.

I am told the owners were concerned by a record of only seven home wins in the league last season, and today's statement also reflects the conviction of some board members that there are talented youngsters within the system who should be brought into the first team.

To replace a manager at the height of his popularity is, at best, a bold move. Supporters will take a lot of convincing that it isn't foolhardy.

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Would not be surprised if these owners leave the club bankrupt in league 1 within 3 years. They clearly don't have the best interests of the club at heart, and will no doubt get bored soon 

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My instinct was one of confusion and it reminded me of when they sacked Rowett. However, at least this time it seems to have a genuine reason, i.e. disagreements over transfer policy.

Maybe Monk is partly to blame. He's a good manager at Championship level but he does come across as being a bit abrasive at times, and sometimes selling a star player to a Premier League is the sort of thing that is beyond a manager's control.

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I quite like what GM does and I don't think his football is that dire that a struggling club could afford to change him but it must start to raise questions that he has move / been moved on from so many clubs after such short periods of time.

It is difficult to see where he might go next, maybe Derby if Frank moves to Chelsea.

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From a Birmingham perspective I think the fans just want some stability. The whole Rowett debacle then led to a bunch of weird appointments and Monk seemed to have steadied the ship somewhat.

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