I want to help... as long as the club trusts me

in by the club’s Hong Kong-based owners to replace Gary Rowett when Birmingham were seventh in the table, has now taken just six points from the 36 available.

He admitted: “It’s very painful, very frustrating. Sometimes football makes you feel like you are on top of the world, and sometimes the world is on top of you.

“I feel bad, I feel sorry for the players, and for the supporters. We just have to pick ourselves up.

“I still think I can be a success, but it is getting harder.

“At the moment I am feeling very, very low. I take my responsibilities and I have to find a way to give something more to this team.” Blues were second best from the moment Smith, signed last month from Fulham in a £500,000 deal that could rise to £1million, rose unchallenged to head home Luke Freeman’s pinpoint corner.

And only three good saves by Tomasz Kuszczak stopped Rangers going further in front.

But he could do nothing when his defenders failed to deal with a throw-in straight after half-time and captain Jonathan Grounds nodded the ball to Washington, who scored his third goal in five games.

Guinea international Sylla was unchallenged when heading home Pawel Wszolek’s 84th-minute centre, before Ngbakoto completed the rout with a 25-yard free-kick.

Delighted QPR boss Ian Holloway said: “It’s a really good feeling in the dressing room right now and that spirit is what we are trying to create.

“I wanted to sign Smith for ages, and what a header that was – as a defender the last thing you want is him towering above you.

“I apologised to Gianfranco for our fans starting the songs against him.

“When I had a bad spell it was easier because our supporters know me and how I played and trained for them.

“Unfortunately, the Birmingham fans don’t know yet about Gianfranco and that makes it tougher for him to come through this.”