Birmingham City have confirmed that Pep Clotet has left his role as manager with immediate effect. 

He had been due to step down from the role as head coach of the Blues at the end of the 2019/20 season, but a poor run of results has led to him mutually agreeing to terminate his contract with Birmingham.

The news comes after Birmingham were beaten by Swansea City 3-1 in their last match, which means they're still in danger of being relegated from the Championship.

The Blues are sat 17th in the second tier standings, and just four points clear of the relegation zone with four matches remaining in this year's campaign.

It remains to be seen as to whether Birmingham will target a new manager from outside of the club ahead of the conclusion of the 2019/20 season.

But the club's supporters will be eager to see a short-term plan in place, as they look to fight to survive in the Championship this term.

Birmingham are set to return to action on Sunday afternoon, when they take on struggling Stoke City, in a crucial six-pointer at the bet365 Stadium.

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The Verdict:

I'm not surprised by his decision in the slightest.

I think Clotet did a steady job with Birmingham, but results since they returned to competitive action simply haven't been anywhere near good enough.

His departure will mean that someone new can come into the team with fresh ideas, which could give them a much-needed boost ahead of the final four matches of the season.

It'll be interesting to see if Craig Gardner steps into the managerial hot seat for the remainder of the season, and if he can impress with positive results, you would imagine that he'll be tempted to step forward for the vacancy on a permanent basis.