Hull 0, Birmingham City 1: Colin Tattum's big match verdict

Sep 21 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

AS THE Blues owners continue to clear their desks in readiness for the Hong Kong handover, the Alex McLeish makeover continues on the pitch.

In five days, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and Ralph Gold will be at St Andrew’s for the last time to say their farewells.

They will leave behind a host of coruscating and corrigible memories and deeds, a club in rude health financially and a team that is evolving in a different way to previous Premier League versions.

To support that evolutionary process, victories are needed. To show hard proof that things are looking up, and to boost confidence.

Saturday’s was such a major result, such a major statement.

Blues were too often found wanting against these kind of sides likely to be scrapping for survival alongside them two years ago.

And it was hard to see a distinct McLeish stamp on Blues as he had players held over from Steve Bruce’s days and few of his own.

Two seasons prior to that, Blues had lost their way through high-maintenance big-hitters and low ambition and were relegated from the Premier League for a first time.

The football was functional, and lacked ingenuity. It was also the beginning of the end for Sullivan and co.

Slowly but surely, McLeish is getting Blues on the right lines, his lines.

And once the ownership baton has been passed to Carson Yeung and his group, should he get what he wants in January – and Sullivan has admitted that the present board were not prepared to spend like he reckons the incoming board will – there is every reason to be optimistic.

Remarkably, Blues won their first top-flight away match since McLeish’s debut game at Spurs without a dozen injured players.

The goal-scorer, Garry O’Connor, showed no sign of the sickness that had struck him down in the week when he clambered highest to meet Keith Fahey’s outswinging corner in the 75th minute and head strongly past the otherwise impregnable protector Boaz Myhill at the near post.

Scott Dann, too, belied any hint of injury-induced rustiness to produce a fine debut and then there was the little genie, Christian Benitez, who is a star in the making.