Birmingham City are reportedly expected to announce the sacking of head coach Wayne Rooney.
In October, with the club having won successive Championship matches and in contention for promotion, the Blues hierarchy made the decision to remove John Eustace from his position in the dugout.
Despite Eustace having put together a settled side, Birmingham stated that they wanted a more ambitious and 'no fear' approach, resulting in the appointment of Rooney.
Instead, the England legend has overseen a calamitous spell at St Andrew's, accumulating just 10 points from his 15 matches in the second tier.
Fan discontent has grown on a weekly basis and it seemingly reached a head as Birmingham succumbed to a tame 3-0 defeat at Leeds United on New Year's Day.
© Reuters
There were increasing calls for the 38-year-old to be sacked, despite the flipside to the argument being that the former DC United boss can now reshuffle his squad during the January transfer window.
However, rather than being handed the chance to sign new players for the first time in his reign, The Mirror claims that Rooney has been told that he has been removed from his role with immediate effect.
The decision is to be made official in due course, with the expectation being that Birmingham will move fast to make another appointment as they plan their transfer business.
Their most recent five-game winless streak has led to Birmingham now occupying 20th position in the Championship table, six points clear of the relegation zone.
© Reuters
Rooney's only victories as Birmingham boss have come at home to Sheffield Wednesday - who were then bottom of the standings - and a 1-0 success away at promotion-chasing Cardiff City.
Since that victory on December 13, just two points have been collected, one of them having established a 3-1 lead at Plymouth Argyle with a quarter of the game remaining.
Birmingham are not back in Championship action until January 13, when they play host to Swansea City who sit in 16th spot and just four points ahead of them.
On Saturday, Birmingham make the trip to face Hull City in the FA Cup third round, and it is currently unclear who will be at the helm.
Darren Plant
