Royals were humbled 6-1 at St Andrew’s by a Blues side that had lost their previous fixture against rock-bottom Blackpool.

The humiliating defeat was Reading’s worst in the league for 15 years and left Adkins’ men languishing in 16th position in the Championship table and 10 points adrift of the play-off positions, ahead of a tough home fixture against sixth-placed Watford this Saturday (3pm ko).

Royals fans took to social media to call for Adkins’ head after the final whistle blew at Birmingham, but the 49-year-old has vowed to turn his team’s fortunes around.

He said: “It’s a very poor scoreline and obviously very disappointing.

“We will reflect upon it and sometimes you can say words that are emotional after a game, so we’ll reflect upon it in the cold light of day. Then we’ve got to pick ourselves up and get ready to go again.

“Believe you me, I’ve a very proud man and I hate losing. I’m taking the emotion away from maybe saying something I will regret, because I think that’s sensible because I have to pick the guys up and go again.

“I’ve also got to pick the club up, I think that’s important. Like I say I’m very proud in what I do and I think that’s the best angle for me to take on it right now.”

Reading have now picked up just three wins in 15 games and have shipped 36 goals, with only Fulham and Huddersfield Town conceding more.

Adkins’ men were 2-0 down after just 11 minutes and, though Glenn Murray scored to pull it back to 2-1, they were blown away by the Blues after that.

In the end a first-half hat-trick from Demarai Gray and goals from Paul Caddis, Andy Shinnie and David Cotterill continued Birmingham’s resurgence under Gary Rowett and condemned Royals to an embarrassing loss in the Midlands.

Young Reading defenders Jake Cooper and Michael Hector were given a particularly torrid time by Birmingham’s strikeforce, with Hector making way for the more experienced Alex Pearce midway through the second half.

He added: “We give Birmingham credit because they have turned their season around. Their confidence was growing and we have given away goals that are poor from our point of view and well dispatched from theirs.

“At 2-1 down I believed we could go on to win, but they have capitalised on a number of situations and got the result.

“I think I put a team out that before the game everyone would have been happy with. Two out-and-out wingers, two strikers, goals in the team, energy, passing ability, youngsters at centre half and experienced full backs.

“We had 70% possession in the first half and we had chances. Darren Randolph made a couple of saves but you can’t legislate for goals given away, they were poor goals.”

Adkins also stressed: “We are mid-table, it’s a heavy defeat and there is no problem with people asking questions.

“But I know I’m resilient, there’s a lot of grit. I’ll reflect on the game, lead from the front and will be up and raring to go because we’ve got to turn it around.

“We are all deeply, deeply disappointed. I highlight the supporters all the time and I was talking to a lot of them before kick-off and we appreciate their efforts. Unfortunately, it was a very poor scoreline.”

Nevertheless, supporters are growing increasingly tired of the excuses being offered up by Adkins, who has won four promotions as a manager, twice with Southampton and twice with Scunthorpe.

“I think I’ve got a proven track record and am becoming better all the time with these experiences,” he declared. “It’s a shame we’re in this situation, we have to go again.

“You know me, I don’t highlight things, we just have to keep going and moving forward.

“We don’t want to talk about injuries because everyone gets them. Yes, we’re blooding youngsters and because of that you get mistakes, but they’ll become better and the club is better for it long term.

“Financially, people can talk about that, it has been highlighted, but from my point of view I’ll keep presenting the club in the right manner and keep working hard to get it right.”

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