IN SOME ways, Gordon Strachan's announcement this week could lift a weight off his shoulders. If results continue like this, it could yet hasten his departure.

After this game, which saw Saints fail to win for the fifth match in succession, Rupert Lowe refused to say whether Strachan would be in charge until the end of his contract.

Of course, it was put in the context that any manager after a string of poor results can get the sack from any club at any time.

However, this is now an extraordinary circumstance.

After this poor run, there would obviously be pressure on Strachan no matter whether he admitted he was quitting at the end of the season or not.

But after everything he's achieved, it's fair to say he would have been given plenty of time and every opportunity, and importantly the full support of the fans, to make his side come good again.

Now, though, many fans are already questioning what impact his decision will have on the team.

Indeed, the man himself confessed he wanted to keep this a secret until the end of the season for fear of how the players would react.

It must be tough going out there and knowing that your boss now will be gone soon.

In many ways, it eases the mental pressure on you.

Also, if he criticises you, then you must think 'well he's a fine one to talk.' The problem is that if Strachan is not the long-term future of the team, and we now know he is not, then any new man will want as long as possible to size up his squad before the summer and the transfer window.

If Lowe's target is already in a job, it may have to wait until the close of the season come what may.

However, if he is gettable now, then his appointment may come sooner rather than later unless the team are on a massive high.

It's a real shame to see Strachan walking away. I, like many Saints fans, will be sad to see him go.

But, at the same time, this 'treading water' period of his contract running down does not sit that comfortably now everybody knows.

It is better that it's out in the open. Strachan and Lowe may have wanted to keep it quiet until the end of the season but that was never going to happen.

With the best will in the world, journalists, Saints fans and even anyone who looked on the club website knew that Strachan's contract expired at the end of the season. They also knew that, with five months left on it, he hadn't signed a new one.

To think that no one was going to ask what was going on the longer this situation continued was naive at best.

There is no way people weren't going to be demanding an answer soon.

But the fact that the answer was what it was leaves Strachan's role as Saints manager in a questionable position.

That's not to suggest that this result was in any way affected by the announcement.

In fairness, Saints were actually better than they had been in previous weeks.

They took the lead after just six minutes when Rory Delap's shot was parried by Maik Taylor and Brett Ormerod side-footed home from close range.

That spurred the Blues into life and they equalised on 16 minutes when Stephen Clemence's header from a far-post corner took a deflection off Fitz Hall and landed in the net.

Antti Niemi had to make a great save from Clinton Morrison while the keeper and Delap managed to get another header from a corner off the line and away.

The Finnish international was again in action in the second half to brilliantly tip over from David Dunn but Jeff Kenna gave Steve Bruce's side the lead on 67 minutes.

He started and ended a move which saw Morrison square from the left and the former Saint tap home.

Just a minute later, he was left flattened by David Prutton's leading elbow.

There was no malice in his challenge but there was not much to argue about with the decision to send him off.

Saints pressed for an equaliser but Birmingham came closest as Morrison chipped Niemi but hit the bar.

There is plenty for Strachan to think about. He needs to arrest his side's poor run.

If he doesn't, it will be Lowe with the hard decision to make.