Birmingham City parted company with manager Harry Redknapp on Saturday

Redknapp's sacking came after the Blues lost 3-1 at home to Preston North End

Birmingham fell to 23rd in the Championship after a fifth straight league loss

Development coach Lee Carsley will replace Redknapp on a caretaker basis

Harry Redknapp was sensationally sacked by Birmingham City on Saturday after just five months in charge.

The former West Ham and Tottenham boss was axed a few hours after their 3-1 defeat by Preston which had left the club marooned in the Championship relegation zone.

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Birmingham now face the prospect of paying Redknapp his full annual salary of £1.75million after firing the 70-year-old eight games into the season.

Championship side Birmingham City dismissed manager Harry Redknapp on Saturday evening

The decision to part company with Redknapp came after the Blues lost 3-1 at home to Preston

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A club statement read: 'Unfortunately due to the poor start to the campaign, we are left with no choice but to terminate the contract of the manager with immediate effect.

'We thank him for all his efforts and wish him good luck for the future.'

Redknapp kept Birmingham up after succeeding Gianfranco Zola in April and oversaw a major overhaul of the playing squad during the transfer window.

But the Blues have won just once in the league and are out of the Carabao Cup.

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Under 23s boss Lee Carsley takes caretaker control with Steve Cotterill, Redknapp's right-hand man during last season's escape from relegation, among the favourites to succeed him.

Daniel Johnson, Jordan Hugill and Tom Barkhuizen (above) were all on target for Preston

It was Birmingham's fifth straight loss in the Championship and their sixth in all competitions

Speaking after the loss to Preston, which saw Daniel Johnson, Jordan Hugill and Tom Barkhuizen hit back after Maxime Colin's opener, Redknapp insisted he was still up for the challenge.

'We have got to lift ourselves. There is a team waiting to gel but we have suffered several injuries to key players,' he said.

'Fans deserve better and that was my motivation to carry on this season.

'I do not come to work because I need the money, I enjoy the job and leaving home at 5.15 every morning. I would love to be the manager to bring some success to Birmingham.'

Carsley's first game as manager of Birmingham will come at Derby next weekend.

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He has previously held managerial positions at Coventry, where he was caretaker in 2012 and 2013, and Brentford in 2015.

Development coach and ex-midfielder Lee Carsley will step up and become caretaker manager

Redknapp lasted just 13 games as Blues boss, including three in his spell as interim manager