Birmingham City boss Aitor Karanka has admitted that Mikel San Jose's performances haven't been good enough recently after last night's defeat to Barnsley.

The worrying reverse at home to the Tykes leaves Blues in 18th position, and they are now without a win in six league games.

Whilst there have been many reasons for that, the form of San Jose hasn't helped. After a bright start to life in England, the former Athletic Bilbao man has struggled in recent week and it was a similar story last night.

And, speaking to Birmingham Live, Karanka was honest when asked if he was happy with how the 31-year-old is playing, although he reiterated how San Jose is key to the team.

"No. And I think he is the first one who is not happy with his performances, especially when he has shown how good he was. He is a really important player for us and a top player like he is, he knows he is not at his best."

Blues are back in action this weekend when they take on high-flying Bristol City.

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The verdict

It's rare for a manager to admit his player isn't doing enough, but San Jose will know himself and he's not the sort to get upset by these comments.

Unfortunately, you can't really argue with what Karanka says. The Spanish international has failed to make his mark on the team recently and he may have to drop out this weekend.

The bigger issue is that he's by no means the only one underperforming, so Karanka has major problems to solve to get Birmingham back on track.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.