Five Things We Learnt From Watching Football This Week - Week Thirteen

1. Harry Redknapp has his work cut out.
QPR wasted no time on Friday bringing in cockney wide boy and media darling Harry Redknapp, to replace the terminal Mark Hughes. Harry has worked his magic before, most noticeably at Portsmouth (if you count working his magic as keeping them in the division via loads of overpaid transfers and then jumping ship and watching them become bankrupt) – but he really has his work cut out this time around. QPR have that fatal mix of overpaid former stars that don’t seem to care, and underpaid championship players who just aren’t good enough. Rangers are utterly adrift of safety in the form of 7 points and have a run of immediate fixtures that are almost all crucial. Sunderland, Villa & Wigan are all up shortly and winning/losing them could be the difference between opening up the relegation zone to a wider audience… and staring into the abyss. Harry will need all his man management skills and a set of transfer targets that aren’t quite so obvious as Beckham to turn things around. Keep this lot up and solidify them further next year and his stock in the game could rise even higher. Fail… and you wonder if this could be Harry’s last chance to put his unique spin on the football merry go round that he loves so much.

2. But so does Rafa Benitez.
Rafa was welcomed to Stamford Bridge on Sunday with open and widespread dissent from the Chelsea faithful. The combination of a manager they hate replacing one they had loved, proving too much for a set of supporters who thus far had remained faithful to their Roman empire. Worries about Benitez’ style of football would have hardly been quashed by one of the worst games of the season. City at least tried, if seemingly happy to take a point in the backyard of their second nearest rivals. Chelsea looked like they were at a funeral for the first half and in the second upped their work rate in a strangely petulant way, as if they’d been told by Roman himself to get out there and show him they cared. Saving Torres career looks beyond even Rafa and it will be interesting to see who he signs in January. Recalling Lukaku has to be the first move. The Belgian looking more threatening in 20 minutes than Torres & Struridge have in their last 200; and he is a much more natural front man to play in this formation. Personally, much as I condemn the ludicrous sacking of Di Matteo, I’m happy to see Benitez back in management. He is a strangely likeable man and unlike Ferguson or Wenger, his tantrums are funny rather than tiringly predictable. He needs to get the players and fans onside quickly and he’s right about one thing... you start winning football matches and all that other stuff gets forgotten quickly. Chelsea though, with two victories in their last eight games, need to remember that habit again and fast.

3. Southampton know how to play football.
Back to back victories have propelled Saints up the league table to the dizzy heights of 17^th and finally got their fans dreaming of survival. Yesterday they tore into a beleaguered Newcastle like a pack of Wolves to a fresh carcass. Saints move the ball around with real style and their front four, with the cultured Ramirez pulling the strings, look dangerous every time they go forward. Indeed, Southampton have created as many chances as any team in the division and remain the leagues great entertainers having seen 50 goals go in during their 13 matches. 7 or 8 nil would not have flattered them yesterday, but the most pleasing thing for Nigel Adkins will probably have been the clean sheet.  If they are to remain in the top flight they will need plenty more of them. Talk of their manager’s demise was offensive a few weeks ago and looks ludicrous now. Southampton are now a well-run, attractive club who were on their knees before Adkins stepped in. Even if they go down, it is about time clubs showed some loyalty and his services should be retained for several years yet. When you keep having to go to Dave Whelan to teach you something about morals in the game, you’re in serious trouble.

4. Utd’s central hub still wouldn’t pass an MOT.
The phrase “one more year” for Scholes & Giggs stopped being amusing long ago, such has been their absurd longevity. Giggs, to his credit, was still brilliant 18 months ago and Scholes kept Utd in the title race until the death last time around. Finally though, it looks like this might be one bridge too far. Neither player has influenced a game this season in the way they did in the last two campaigns and Utd have looked sluggish with them in the team. A central hub of Scholes/Carrick cannot be allowed to continue. The partnership lacks page and urgency and the time has come for Cleverly and Anderson, even the impressive looking Nick Powell, to be given a sustained run of games.  If that fails, Ferguson has to buy and sort out the part of his team that has continued to come up short for the best part of a decade. The thinking was that Utd would play 4-2-3-1 this year with the lively Kagawa in behind Rooney, allowing two deep lying passers such as Scholes/Carrick to ping balls into the channels. Buying Van Persie changed all that though, suddenly Rooney finds himself in a deeper role. Not even a number 10, but like a half 8, half 10 clone who doesn’t really play in the space or burst in unmarked. Utd don’t possess a defensive midfielder so their formation looks a bit silly. Better to play to your strengths and attack, which is all Utd have ended up doing this season anyway once they’ve fallen behind again… and again… and again. Utd can outscore almost anyone in full flow and when they’ve got the bit between their teeth there is no team better at scoring 2 or 3 goals in a very quick period of time. Utd played well for 15 minutes on Saturday, and once again it was enough to win. Ferguson has one more piece of surgery to conduct before he retires and he cannot ignore the heart of this team anymore.

5. It’s time for Pardew to start justifying that contract.
8 years always seemed a stretch and little over 8 weeks into that deal Alan Pardew looks like a man sat on his laurels. Newcastle have been very unlucky with injuries this season, their first choice midfield having barely played, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of organisation and discipline that has crept into their ranks of late. Pardew’s men have just been beaten comfortably by the two teams who got promoted last season. They are in a desperate rut, winning one of their last eight league games and even that in an extremely undeserved way. The worry for the Anti-Christ must be that whereas before they were solid but lacking in spark, on Sunday they were truly battered by the team who are odds on favourites to finish bottom. The Toon army are beginning to get restless and whilst Pardew’s commitment to the Europa league is noble, it is clearly costing his side in the league. Newcastle have Stoke, Fulham & Wigan before a Christmas schedule that looks handpicked by Ebenezer Scrooge. Both Manchester clubs, Arsenal & Everton all loom over the season of goodwill. On the evidence of the last few games, it could be the season of discontent instead.