Blues need home loan
BIRMINGHAM’s dreadful home form is threatening to take them into yet another relegation battle.
Boss Aitor Karanka was recruited to prevent a last day survival like last season – but Blues are dropping like a stone.
Eight defeats out of 12 at home is the worst record in the country and over the last 15 months Birmingham have won just THREE out of 28 games at St Andrew’s.
Even the cardboard fans in the ground will walk out if Karanka can’t turn this round.
Appointed in the summer on a three-year contract, it is unlikely cash-strapped Birmingham can sack him.
He said: “My situation? I am completely calm. I know why I came here, I know where the club was, I know where we want to be.
“I could say that I will need 10 players in the transfer market, I will need money to sign players, but I am not going to say anything because I knew what the situation was when I came.
“I’m doing my best, the team is doing its best, so I am not concerned at all.”
Karanka blamed ref
Gavin Ward for missing two Birmingham penalties.
The Spaniard believed Amari Bell should have been penalised for a foul on Ivan Sanchez just before Blackburn’s opening goal.
And he was bemoaning a push at a corner on Mikel San Jose which was missed.
Karanka added: “A referee’s mistake has hurt us a lot. We should have had a penalty and 30 seconds later we concede a goal.
“There was another penalty in the second half that was not seen.
“The lack of respect to this club and these players is amazing. Every game there is something against us. Letters of apology are not points on the table.”
Adam Armstrong struck in the 10th minute cutting in from the left to shoot across keeper Neil Etheridge.
Josh DacresCogley wasted a chance and sub Scott Hogan should have equalised a minute from time but keeper Thomas Kaminski saved.
Sub Bradley Dack, back fit after a serious knee injury, slammed in Blackburn’s second in added time for his first goal since November 2019.
Rovers boss Tony Mowbray said: “Dack getting that goal after the injury he’s had was wonderful, but I thought in general we were poor.
“We have created far more chances in games and lost them.”