Manager Garry Monk has called on his Birmingham City players to "embrace" the challenge of trying to remain in the Championship.

Birmingham currently sit in the bottom three of the standings on goal difference, but the Blues ended a lengthy winless run with victory over Hull City before the international break.

Monk has acknowledged that his side face "a big ask", but he wants the West Midlands outfit to approach their upcoming fixtures like they did against the Tigers.

The 39-year-old told the Birmingham Mail: "We know if we do our job and get enough points then yes we can get safe. It's a big ask, a big challenge, but our mentality is to go and embrace it not fear it.

"It can be Groundhog Day, going through the motions, the same thing, yes we are committed and fighting but, you kind of expect the outcome to be negative, or you can look at it as a challenge and meet it head on. That's kind of what we did.

"We set up in that way for these first games trying to promote that front foot. If we are going to do this we have to take the initiative."

Birmingham are next in action when they host Ipswich Town on March 31.