It can’t go on like this, can it . . ?
In the words of Mick McCarthy, it can.
Blues away day woes are getting worse and there seems there is no elixir.
The 3-0 defeat at Watford was a ninth reverse in 13 away games.
Blues were lacklustre and yet again found themselves pushing uphill after a dreadful start.
A goal after nine minutes for Tom Ince – running in between Phil Neumann and Alfons Sampsted to finish off a lofted ball – set the tone for an all too familiar pattern.
Blues conceded the initiative to their hosts and couldn’t muster enough to cause trouble themselves.
A second goal, stuck away by Ince, was just as poorly defended when a low cross from the right eluded a wonky defensive line.
So Blues 2-0 down, on the road, as half-time approaches. Here we go again . . .
A double change at the interval didn’t have much impact and when Nestory Irankunda surged away down the middle of the pitch to tee-up Ince to thump in his and Watford’s third, it was a reminder of how lacking Blues can be when it comes to stopping transitions on opposition turf.
The scenes at the end with the travelling support venting their anger and Marvin Ducksch and Marc Leonard walking towards the barriers to take issue with abuse they were subjected to was unseemly and reminiscent of that match at Barnsley’s Oakwell under Steve Cotterill.
Passions and frustrations are running high right now and those who have slogged up and down the motorways following Blues this season have reached boiling point.
The absence of the injured Jay Stansfield and Demarai Gray was keenly felt. As were the suspensions of Tommy Doyle and Christoph Klarer – their red cards look dafter by the day. So too not having Chris Davies in the technical area due to his sending-off at the Southampton match.
Losing the returning Alex Cochrane to injury again was another mishap on an afternoon when Blues lacked most things from the basics of defending, to invention to energy and drive.
Watford didn’t really have to work a sweat to get a fourth straight win that cements them as serious promotion contenders.
Attentions turn immediately to the visit of the Coventry City on Sunday lunchtime.
Blues are seven games without a win and need to show the kind of performance they normally do at home; the contrast between how effective and good they are at St. Andrew’s and bad they are away is like a chasm.
Coventry remain top of the Championship but have stuttered a little of late by their standards, the defeat by Ipswich Town on Boxing Day was only their third all season, and a first at home.
They are the number one ranked team away in the division and have kept more clean sheets than any other side.
Blues will have Doyle free from suspension, which is a plus, but they are likely to be without Cochrane again and doubts remain over the status of those on the injury list, which also includes Ethan Laird whilst Bright Osayi-Samuel is on international duty in the Africa Cup of Nations.
A bright spot on the horizon came with the confirmation that Blues are on the verge of signing left-back Kai Wagner from Philadelphia Union.
Davies spoke about the German in his post-match press conference at Vicarage Road and there is a slight possibility he could be in before Coventry rock up.
However, the MLS season for Union finished at the end of November in the Eastern Conference semi-finals and it would be a surprise if Wagner was cleared to be in match fit state to go straight into the side.
Asked if it was possible that the transfer could be done ahead of Coventry, Davies replied: “I’m not sure on the actual paperwork and everything else like that, and obviously their season finished some time ago so he hasn’t been playing, but officially that might be possible.”
We revealed on Forever Blues that Wagner had been targeted as the first move of the January transfer window.
