Hong Kong calling

Blues have come a long way, baby.

I still shudder at the memory of pre-season tours back in day, in Ireland 1991 to be precise.

Being asked to drive the mini bus Blues were given for winning the Leyland DAF Cup across country, stuffed full of players and suitcases and kit . . . it resembled a Sunday league team outing.

Sitting in the plush lobby of the Harbour Grand Hotel, Hong Kong, as I write this, watching the odd junk boat go by; yes, Blues have come a long way, baby.

Carson Yeung's takeover of the club meant a pre-season tour of the former colony and mainland China was inevitable.

Blues are by no means the biggest name or draw in these parts, but without doubt it is dawning on everyone present here - from management, players, club staff - that they have credibility and their standing is on an upward curve.

When Alex McLeish and his squad came through the arrivals gate at Hong Kong airport, there were television crews, reporters and cameramen waiting for them.

McLeish was presented with a bouquet of flowers by local model and celebrity Jenny Wong as a welcome gift organised by Yeung.

You may remember Jenny: she was the lady pictued next to Yeung at the Emirates caught yawning as Blues fell to defeat to Arsenal.

Following a brief training session to effectively enable the squad to stretch their legs after the 12-hour flight, Blues were detailed to attend a PR event at the apm shopping mall, a huge complex of a similar tiered design to the Pavilions.

Organised by apm, who were celebrating their fifth anniversary, Xtep and the Hong Kong Football Association, it was to introduce the English visitors and publicise Sunday's match against the Hong Kong League XI (10,000 tickets sold to date, apparently).

Nikola Zigic attracted the most curious looks, as you might imagine, and McLeish did a star turn on stage when interviewd by MC Sarah Lee.

She noticed that he was sweating and mopped his brow, Eck said they had come straight from training and after another flirty interchange he made a quip aside: 'hey, I think I'm in here!'

McLeish is great for Blues in this way. He projects himself and the club in the right manner, and people warm to him. He has the Hong Kong public and press as fans already.

But he knows when to make a firm point, and to stress that the trip may be great for 'Carson's China connection' and Blues future projection and business, but it is about work and preparation for his players.

He has been careful to manage expectation here too.

When asked what the aims were for next season by Lee, and whether Blues could finish higher than ninth, he said 'why not think Champions League' and when the audience applauded he realised he needed to clarify what was really a tongue in cheek answer.

He talked about why a club at Blues stage of development had to aim to simply avoid relegation initially.

"If we can stay in the Premier League for three seasons then you can grow in stature, grow financially, have a bit of stability. Too many high demands too early, it can be dangerous."