Alex McLeish tells Birmingham City: Dare to dream

Aug 15 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

ALEX McLeish has told his Blues players to dare to dream as they prepare for the toughest Premier League opener possible, at Champions Manchester United tomorrow (1.30pm).

McLeish accepted that on paper United should triumph, and Blues’ horrendous record there of one draw, one goal and ten defeats going back to 1981 hardly makes for an encouraging omen.

But McLeish said Blues should not be frightened by their test on their return to the top flight.

“If the bus rolls up to Old Trafford and the players have an adrenalin rush, as I do when I got to these grounds, then that’s what you’re looking for,” he said.

“Of course the next thing is that they will be looking at the stadium saying ‘isn’t this the most fantastic privilege for us to be coming here playing in the top league in the world at Old Trafford?’.

“These are what dreams are made of.

“There’s no reason why every player and every member of my backroom staff shouldn’t be going there feeling nothing but belief in themselves and thinking that we can cause an upset against all odds.

“You never know what can happen. If any footballer and anybody is fazed by it, then he doesn’t deserve to be on that coach going up to the game.

“It will be possibly the toughest game of the campaign, we know that, but we dream the dream and everybody at the beginning of the season is full of enthusiasm.”