Garry Monk Sacked as Swansea City Manager: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Garry Monk has been sacked as the manager of Swansea City following a poor run of results that sees the south Wales outfit placed a lowly 15th in the Premier League table.

Swansea confirmed Monk's exit on Twitter:

Club chairman Huw Jenkins explained the decision was a difficult but necessary one, per Swans' official website:

"

The decision has been made very reluctantly and with a heavy heart. 

[...]

Garry took on the job 22 months ago with the backing of everyone at the club. And when you take into account the excellent campaign we had last season when we broke all club records in the Premier League, nobody foresaw the position we would be in at this moment in time. 

Bearing that in mind and the current uncertainty around the club, we felt the situation needed clarity to move forward. 

It was not a decision we took lightly, especially given Garry’s history and standing within the club. And it goes without saying that we wish Garry all the very best for the future and thank him for his tremendous service, not only as a player over the last decade, but also as our manager. He will always have a warm welcome at this football club. 

"

On Thursday, Monk provided a farewell note to Swansea fans:

The Welsh side have endured a terrible run of results of late, most recently losing 3-0 to Leicester City. It was their fourth loss in their last five matches, part of a dreadful run of form that saw them win just one of their last 10 Premier League outings, per WhoScored.com.

As shared by Sky Sports, the recent losing streak brought Monk's overall record down severely:

It's a sad ending to one of the Premier League's best feel-good stories of the last couple of years. As explained by Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe, it wasn't so long ago Monk was regarded as a Manager of the Year candidate:

Monk took over at the Liberty Stadium in February 2014 as successor to Michael Laudrup with the club facing relegation. The 36-year-old's interim status was made permanent after he guided the club to Premier League safety. In the following 2014-15 season, he led the Swans to an impressive eighth-place finish in the English top flight.

The 2015-16 campaign began in impressive fashion, as Swansea went unbeaten for their first four matches—including a marquee victory against Manchester United—with Monk drawing high praise from many pundits, as noted by the Guardian's Daniel Taylor.

However, a rotten run of form has seen Swansea tumble down the Premier League table, while they were also knocked out of the Capital One Cup by Championship side Hull City in the third round.

Something had to be done, and as is so often the case, the club decided the best way forward would be to hand the reigns to a new manager.

Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph was saddened by the news:

Former England international Gary Lineker and BT Sport's Adam Virgo both weighed in on the ruthless nature of the business:

"

Think Gary Monk situation and sacking shows why the top players stay away from wanting to being a manager.

— Adam Virgo (@Adamvirgs19) December 9, 2015"

A former player and club legend, Monk was almost a symbol of Swansea, and his sacking will not be received well by a large portion of the team's fans. Under Monk, the squad enjoyed its finest Premier League spell, and there are no guarantees a new manager can step in and turn the ship around in a hurry.

Given his young age and what he has already accomplished with Swansea, Monk shouldn't be without a job for long. Monk only started his managerial career in 2014, so despite the sacking, one has to believe his future looks bright.