WE’RE BANG IN TROUBLE
Exit for Karanka after latest humiliation and skipper Dean admits Brum are sinking fast
HARLEE DEAN concedes Birmingham City are “bang in trouble” after Aitor Karanka became the latest boss to head for the exit at St Andrew’s.
The Spaniard’s departure is expected to be confirmed today, with a series of crisis meetings between the players not enough to save his job or prevent Birmingham being sucked into the relegation fight.
Skipper Dean (right) said: “Of course I’m concerned we might go down unless things improve. I’m not naive enough to think we are OK. We are bang in trouble, but I look around that dressing room and the players in there… we shouldn’t be in that situation.
“There is not one bad egg in the group, there is not one person who is not giving 100 per cent daily. I look at myself as a captain and I’ve got to set an example. Question my ability – that’s fine – but we are giving it our all.
“We’ve had meetings, we’ve all spoken. I’m not going to make excuses and blame other people. We’ve got 10 games to try to turn it around.”
Karanka could be followed out of the exit by under-fire CEO Xuandong Ren. Ren is very unpopular with fans after falling out with several long-serving staff and previously presided over a nine-point deduction for breaching EFL Profitability & Sustainability rules.
The Blues were well beaten by Bristol City. While Karanka (top) failed to find a solution, counterpart Nigel Pearson can see reason for optimism.
Midfielder Kasey Palmer, scorer and man of the match, became a father last week. He said: “If that wasn’t the best, then it was close to my best performance in a Bristol City shirt. It’s been an eventful week – not much sleep, not much training.”
Antoine Semenyo scored the second goal before Palmer created the third for Callum O’Dowda.
As if a baby, a goal and an assist were not enough for one week, Palmer is keeping busy and has plenty of reason to celebrate – he has decided to play for Jamaica after receiving a phone call last week.
BIRMINGHAM: Etheridge 5, Colin 6 (Cosgrove 68, 5), Dean 6, Roberts 6, Pedersen 5; Sunjic 6, Harper 5, Sanchez 6 (Leko 54, 5), Halilovic 6 (Gardner 68, 5), Bela 6, Hogan 6 (Jutkiewicz 68, 5)
BRISTOL CITY: Bentley 6, Hunt 7, Mariappa 7, Kalas 7, Sessegnon 7, Lansbury 6 (Walsh 81), Massengo 6, Semenyo 7, Palmer 8, Wells 6 (O’Dowda 77, 5), Diedhiou 6 (Watkins, 85)