What Christoph Klarer has said to Birmingham City fans amid Chris Davies sack talk | OneFootball

Birmingham City have lost eight of their 12 away games so far this Championship season

Christoph Klarer has apologised to the Birmingham City fans following the team’s latest away defeat to Sheffield United.

The Blues’ away form has become a massive stumbling block to climbing the Championship table this season.

Goals from Tyler Bindon, Gustavo Hamer and Patrick Bamford consigned Chris Davies’ side to an eighth loss on the road from 12 games in the league so far this season.

The result has reportedly put pressure on the manager’s position, with the club setting up a shortlist of potential candidates that could replace him, if a decision is made soon to sack him.

Birmingham are in their first year back in the second division, but have their sights set on competing for promotion again as part of owner Tom Wagner’s long-term plans for the Midlands outfit.

Christoph Klarer issues apology to Birmingham fans

Klarer has sent a message to his Birmingham teammates urging them to be stronger away from home, suggesting it’s clear that an improvement is needed given their poor form.

He also apologised to the fans for their performance at Bramall Lane in which Tommy Doyle reduced the side to 10 men with the score only 1-0 in the 18th minute.

“We can’t deny that we haven’t been good enough away from home, we put a lot of pressure on us to be perfect at home and when we can’t do that it puts us under pressure as a team,” said Klarer, via Birmingham’s official YouTube channel.

“We need to improve, we need to improve quick. We need to be stronger, mentally and physically away from home to try and turn it round.

“Today is going to hurt for a few days and we need to definitely be better against Derby.

“It’s disappointing for us, it really hurts us in the changing room to see that many people travel every few days and to send them home disappointed after we couldn’t win or give them a result.

“We apologise as a team and we will try to be better in the New Year, for sure.”

Birmingham fell to 14th in the Championship table with this 3-0 defeat, leaving them six points adrift of the play-off places as we approach the halfway point of the campaign.

The Blues have not been in the top flight since 2011, but Wagner’s ambitious plans for the club involve gaining promotion back to the division.

Klarer has been a key figure in the side since they gained promotion from League One, with the defender featuring in all 22 of their games in the second tier this season.

Next up for Davies’ side is a home clash against Derby County on 26 December in a 12.30pm kick-off.

Birmingham City have home form to thank for promotion contention

Birmingham may be 14th in the table, but a six point gap to the play-offs at this stage is still rather small, so they’re firmly in contention for a play-off place.

It is their home form they have to thank for that fact, and it’s hard to see the team being promoted this season if they remain so reliant on getting results at St. Andrew’s.

Klarer has issued a firm message to the squad, and they all know that this needs to improve in the second half of the campaign.

Davies will be hoping two home games in a row will give him the chance to save his job, with games against both Derby and Southampton coming up at their own ground in the coming week.