Aitor Karanka set to depart Birmingham City with club mired in Championship relegation battle

Aitor Karanka is set to depart Birmingham City with the club gripped in a battle to avoid relegation from the Championship.

Karanka has been sacked as manager after the abysmal home defeat by Bristol City on Saturday, which leaves the club perched just above the bottom three.

The former Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough manager’s tenure at Birmingham has been a huge slog and the defeat yesterday was their 12th at St Andrew’s this season.

After the game Karanka insisted he would not resign but it is understood the decision was taken by Zhao Wenqing, one of the club’s more powerful directors.

Xuandong Ren, the controversial chief executive, was not involved in the dismissal and is under growing pressure himself after a stormy few years.

Karanka was appointed in July last year, with the club hopeful of a promotion challenge this season, but they are only three points above the relegation zone with ten games left to play.

After the defeat on Saturday, Karanka said:"We've been here for several months and every single game is the same. We can do whatever we want but if we make mistakes we are going to lose the game.

"When you are losing you need to have that direction, but we didn't deliver one ball into the box. It is impossible to win games if you don't score goals from the chances you have and you are making mistakes every day.

"I don't look at the table, I don't look at where we are in the calendar, but it's difficult when you're working, you're trying to do your best and every single day is the same story."