Birmingham City: Championship strugglers 'must get something' from next two home games, says Mark Venus

Birmingham City have lost three and drawn one of their four games since Mark Venus has stepped up to replace Tony Mowbray on a temporary basis

Birmingham City's bouts of travel sickness have given the Championship strugglers an uphill battle to stay up, admits interim boss Mark Venus.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat at relegation rivals Millwall was Blues' fourth loss in five away games, with a point at Hull their solitary return in that run.

They are back on home turf this week for two key games against mid-table pair Middlesbrough and Watford.

"We have to get something from those two games," Venus told BBC Radio WM.

"It just feels like we've had away game after away game - and we haven't been able to get anything from them, apart from Hull.

"We've left ourselves, not a mountain to climb, but something we have to sort out."

Venus remains in charge of the team while Tony Mowbray convalesces from medical treatment for an undisclosed illness.

He is the fourth man in the Blues dugout this season after the dismissal of previous head coaches John Eustace and Wayne Rooney.

But the side's away form has been a prevailing problem for whomever has been in charge, with only bottom club Rotherham collecting fewer than the 12 points Blues have managed on the road, from a possible 57.

Venus admitted issues at both ends of the pitch were "becoming a horrible situation" and "a recipe for trouble" after the last-gasp loss at Milwall left Blues 21st in the table.

However, they remain a point above the bottom three and will climb to 17th if they win their game in hand on the rest of the bottom half when Boro hit town on Tuesday.

"We've got 10 cup finals to play - that's the reality, get our heads on it," added midfielder Alex Pritchard.

"You have to realise the situation you are in. You can talk about the future, but we have 10 games and everyone is fighting for their career.

"You don't want to be associated with a relegation; we realise what's in store, and we have to give it our all until the end of the season."