Monk was under pressure going into the match against Wednesday but Jonny Howson and Ryan Shotton’s late goals appeared to have saved his bacon. 

The former Swansea and Leeds United boss said after the win that he was “proud of the players” but plans were already afoot to sack him.

Express Sport looks at the reasons why Monk was axed, who will succeed him and where he could go next.  

Why was Garry Monk sacked by Middlesbrough?

Middlesbrough were the bookies’ favourites to win the Championship this season.

Garry Monk inherited a squad with experience of securing promotion while he was heavily backed by the club’s board in the transfer market.

Middlesbrough next manager news: Tony Pulis wanted to replace sacked Garry Monk

Britt Assombalonga, Martin Braithwaite and Ashley Fletcher were captured for big fees to fire the club straight back to the Premier League. 

Goalkeeper Darren Randolph and midfielder Jonathan Howson also cost a fair whack.

But Middlesbrough have struggled for consistency since the first day of the season and are a long way off the promotion pace.

They are only three points behind the play-off pack but a top-two finish was the target set for Monk.

The style of football brought in by Monk also failed to win over the fans. 

Monk’s pragmatic style helped Leeds to a seventh-place finish in the Championship last term but dogged instead of daring was never going to help Boro to the upper echelons of the table.

A number of fans complained of his style being reminiscent of Gordon Strachan’s reign. 

The Daily Mail even claim a number of players were unsure how he wanted them to play.

Finally, owner Steve Gibson - a man renowned for his patience with managers - lost faith in Monk to inspire the team to promotion. 

Who will succeed Garry Monk at Middlesbrough?

Former West Brom, Crystal Palace and Stoke boss Tony Pulis is the man Gibson wants.

The 60-year-old has been out of work since leaving the Baggies last month. 

Crucially, he is open to hearing what Gibson has to say. 

The bookies believe Pulis to Middlesbrough is as good as done with SkyBet offering odds of 1/5. 

Could Garry Monk return to Swansea?

If the bookies are to be believed then Monk could be heading for a sensational return to Swansea.

Monk made 270 appearances for the Swans as a player before progressing to the dugout. 

He replaced Michael Laudrap in February 2014 and guided the club to safety.

Monk’s first full season in charge was a roaring success, securing an eighth-place finish in the Premier League.

But a run of one win in 11 games saw him axed in December 2015.

Swansea are on the hunt for a new boss after sacking Paul Clement earlier this month. 

SkyBet, Ladbrokes, Coral and BetVictor instantly made Monk the favourite to be Swansea’s next permanent manager after his departure from Middlesbrough was confirmed. 

Monk is also as short as 4/1 with SkyBet to be the next Sheffield Wednesday manager.