Bold Predictions, Sure to go Wrong

The last week has seen quite a lot of overturn for the Premier League scene. Roberto Di Matteo, the popular if somewhat under-qualified Chelsea manager, was relieved of his post upon his return to the training facility following Chelsea’s defeat to Juventus in mid-week. Mark Hughes was somewhat more ceremoniously sacked leading into the R’s clash with Champions and league leaders Manchester City. If anything, the last week has taught us that managerial changes can occur at both ends of the table (at least, they can if your owner is Roman Abramovich).

The incoming personnel may actually be more interesting than the outgoing, in this case. Chelsea have turned to former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, who is famous for two things (gross hyperbole there): winning the Champions League with Liverpool and his disdain for Chelsea fans. This is possibly the most unpopular appointment since his replacement walked through the door at Liverpool. The only comparable managerial change in recent memory is Steve Kean’s ill-fated tenure at Blackburn Rovers, where it seemed the supporters would call for his head no matter what the results on the pitch.

At QPR, Tony Fernandes has replaced perennial underachiever, Mark Hughes, with perennial overachiever, Harry Redknapp. Regardless of your preference for or against Redknapp, you have to admit that the man has a way of achieving results. His work at Spurs speaks for itself, and QPR may need a similar effort to turn their season around. Rs supporters must be over the moon. Had you told them at the start of the season that they would have the former favorite for the England job, they probably would have gotten you one of those nice padded, white rooms.

So, what effect will this have on the season? Well, it’s always hard to anticipate how quickly a new manager can assert himself on the squad, but I believe both will have a monumental effect. Here are a few predictions for the rest of the season:

- Chelsea will win silverware: Benitez is a top-class manager, despite what Chelsea supporters think. He is also a consummate professional. No matter how he is treated, he will put forth the utmost effort, and his utmost effort is usually enough to be competitive on several fronts. While their fortunes in the Champion’s League are no longer in his control, Chelsea are still very much alive in three other competitions. I’m tipping them to win at least one of them. Be it the league, the FA Cup or the League Cup, Benitez will add to his resume this season.

- Chelsea will sign a striker in January: Is this really a bold prediction?… Perhaps not, but it may need to be stated. I’ve seen far too many people suggesting that Benitez is the father figure and Torres is the prodigal son. This is simply a load of bollocks. They enjoyed a great spell together at Liverpool, and undoubtedly have a great understanding. That said, I have no doubt that Benitez will bench him if he feels there are better tactical options. When Torres and Benitez were at the height of their relationship, Torres was also in the best form of his career. Now, he’s a shadow of his former self and, while I think Rafa will give him a chance to prove himself, ultimately he will get benched if he cannot improve.

- QPR will avoid relegation: Harry Redknapp is nothing if not pragmatic. In addition, while the side he inherited is far from worth the money spent, there is quality hidden in there somewhere. Redknapp is good at motivating and gleaning quality from his players. You’d be hard-presses to convince me that he’s a master-tactician, but he is a good manager of men. He will find a starting XI that is capable of keeping the Rs from being relegated this season. Reading and Southampton both look to be set to go down, and Aston Villa has not been much better this season. Stoke, Sunderland and Norwich have all looked vulnerable, as well, and Wigan is performing their usual yo-yo act in form. A good run of results in the league could see QPR vault several places and ultimately end up in a respectable mid-table finish.

- QPR will not be the lowest London club: I think the squad has the ability to finish higher than last place in the “London Table”. While it is hard to see them passing up Arsenal and Chelsea at this point, West Ham have looked susceptible to a bad run of form, Tottenham have slumped to poor results lately, and Fulham have not convinced just yet. QPR will finish above one of these teams to ensure they don’t come in last in the competition between Capitol clubs.

Of course, none of these predictions are fool-proof. I could very well be wrong on all four. However, I do believe that they are all possible. The rest of the season will be a wild ride for both clubs, and I, for one, will be watching intently to see how both clubs fare.

i agree with all of them

the predictions regarding qpr are somewhat convinient considering the man that took over the coaching place.. or not?
i believe its more of hughes being sacked than whoever would have taken his place for the conclusive turn of the team
i reckon qpr to do even better than most out there believe they will..