Birmingham City have been unable to capitalise on their promising first half to the season and have picked up just 14 points from 16 games since the international break.

That poor form is unlikely to drag them into a relegation battle but it has stunted the positivity of John Eustace’s first season at the helm.

The Blues have a seven-point cushion on the bottom three with nine games remaining in the second tier and they may need one or two more wins to secure survival.

The inconsistency on the pitch is affecting the mood of the supporter base in a more negative way due to the ownership uncertainty that is persisting at St Andrew’s.

Injured talisman Troy Deeney took to Twitter to reflect on Tuesday evening’s 3-0 defeat at Watford.

He wrote: “Poor evening for the lads, shame we couldn’t continue the performance from last weekend, big game Saturday again now with a chance to end the week on a high.”

Deeney’s strength of character will be important even if he is unable to contribute on the pitch should the Blues get dragged into the drop conversation.

The Verdict

Blackpool’s 6-1 win over Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday evening would have violently shaken the likes of Birmingham City, Rotherham United, Cardiff City and QPR themselves.

The Tangerines have looked awful under Mick McCarthy since Michael Appleton’s dismissal, but have shown themselves to be a capable bottom half side in the Championship at times this term.

The Blues are stumbling over the line a touch but that should not take away from the positive strides that Eustace has made in the dugout.