Birmingham City fixtures compared to relegation rivals: nine teams compete in a five-game shootout

After dropping into the Championship relegation zone for the first time this season, Birmingham City is preparing for a massive doubleheader at home this week.

Since Wayne Rooney took over as manager of the Blues in October, Tony Mowbray, Mark Venus, and now Gary Rowett have failed to stop the team’s downward trend. Starting this week with two matches at St Andrew’s against Cardiff and Coventry, interim manager Gary Rowett has five games left to salvage the season.

At this point, every team up to Swansea City in the fifteenth spot is still keeping an eye on them. Sheffield Wednesday, which are in 23rd position, is only five points behind the Swans. Next season, Rotherham United will be joined in League One by two teams each from Blues, Swansea, Blackburn, QPR, Stoke, Plymouth, Millwall, Huddersfield, and Wednesday.

We have examined the next five games for every team that is still in the running. This is the layout of the ground at the bottom of the Championship.

15th: Swansea – Accumulating 47 points
Upcoming matches: Stoke (home), Rotherham (home), Huddersfield (away), Norwich (away), Millwall (home)

16th: Blackburn – Garnering 46 points
Upcoming matches: Bristol City (away), Leeds (away), Sheffield Wednesday (home), Coventry (home), Leicester (away)

17th: QPR – Amassing 46 points
Upcoming matches: Plymouth (away), Hull (away), Preston (home), Leeds (home), Coventry (away)

18th: Stoke – Amassing 46 points
Upcoming matches: Swansea (away), Sheffield Wednesday (away), Plymouth (home), Southampton (away), Bristol City (home)

19th: Plymouth – Accumulating 44 points
Upcoming matches: QPR (home), Leicester (home), Stoke (away), Millwall (away), Hull (home)

20th: Millwall – Accumulating 44 points
Upcoming matches: Leicester (home), Cardiff (home), Sunderland (away), Plymouth (home), Swansea (away)

21st: Huddersfield – Accumulating 43 points
Upcoming matches: Preston (away), Bristol City (away), Swansea (home), Birmingham (away), Ipswich (home)

22nd: Blues – Accumulating 42 points
Upcoming matches: Cardiff (home), Coventry (home), Rotherham (away), Huddersfield (away), Norwich (home)

23rd: Sheffield Wednesday – Accumulated 42 points
Upcoming matches: Norwich (home), Stoke (home), Blackburn (away), West Brom (home), Sunderland (away)

Who is going to go down?

Two more teams must join Rotherham, who has already been confirmed for relegation to League One. Since the beginning of December, Sheffield Wednesday has put together an incredible run of performances that has given them a chance to stay in the Championship. Danny Rohl will undoubtedly be a candidate for manager of the season if the Owls overcome the drop, but Kieran McKenna of Ipswich seems to have the title locked up.

Since October, only Rotherham’s performance has lagged behind Blues’. The Blues’ dismal away record is also concerning, and how well they play in those two games against Rotherham and Huddersfield will likely determine their future. Blues’ three home games are all against opponents in the top half, hence they are counting on a point return from those two matches. Cardiff doesn’t have much at stake, but Coventry and Norwich are fighting fiercely for sixth place.

The teams Blues still have to play for have an average league position of 13.8. Comparatively, the average position of the last five opponents on Wednesday is 11.6 for Huddersfield, 12.1 for Millwall, 13 for Plymouth, 14.6 for Stoke, 9.6 for QPR, 9.2 for Blackburn, and 9.2 for Swansea is 17.8.

After defeating Blues 1-0, Millwall appeared to be heading out of trouble, but they have now suffered three straight losses. This Tuesday, they will play Leicester. None of the nine teams named above are safe with five games remaining.