MK Dons misery all part of Harry Redknapp's houdini plan

Posted by Sean Smith

Mike Hewitt/Getty ImagesCould QPR's embarrassing home loss to MK Dons all be part of Harry Redknapp's transfer window Jedi mind trick?

There are two ways to look at the 4-2 defeat to League One MK Dons in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The first, of course, is to take the route of the newspapers and focus on the abject display by 11 so-called Premier League players who slowly trundled their way to a well-deserved defeat made slightly bizarre by the fact that the team scoring four goals did so with just four attacks. One was a strange own goal, one a clear offside and two were appalling defensive howlers. But the Womble thieves deserve the plaudits -- even if most reports were wholly inaccurate.

- Match report: QPR 2-4 MK Dons

It is easy to follow this path. In 37 years of supporting QPR, and as one of the few who got drenched watching the Hoops lose to Vauxhall Motors in the same competition, I have never seen a poorer display from my side. And that is saying something.

But from my seat ten yards from the dugout, which proved far more watchable than the painful dross on the pitch, a second way of looking at Saturday's events developed.

It is perfectly clear that it was all part of Harry Redknapp's genius plan to ship out a few of the players he does not like, and persuade the board to make one final push in the transfer market this coming week.

Blimey, is it possible that Redknapp even engineered a rare away victory in the third round at The Hawthorns so he could bag the ideal pre-transfer deadline tie: a third-tier side unable to beat Bury at home last time out in the league?

Genius.

Who else plays Alejandro Faurlin and Esteban Granero in the same side? The two of them have such similar games it was like watching a live version of "Sliding Doors". Rob Green and Anton Ferdinand at the heart of defence was an accident waiting to happen. Jamie Mackie was one of two concessions to the side that started against West Ham. Mackie refuses to be rested while the other first-team regular, Fabio, is a loanee so actually makes his own point about our need for a right-back.

DJ Campbell and Jay Bothroyd could probably do better alongside a Loic Remy, or even Bobby Zamora -- which they both did later on -- but stick them together and they are a dog's dinner

But perhaps the biggest point Redknapp made was playing Park Ji-Sung, and highlighting his performance by making him captain. The Korean looked lost, out of position, unable to hold the ball, incapable of passing to a QPR player and generally exceptionally poor. The question remains as to whether Redknapp gets his wish and offloads the former Manchester United dynamo. The arrival of Korean defender Yun Suk-young may be Redknapp's attempt to pacify the Asian backers who are adamant that we need Asian stars to expand our following in the Far East.

Other fringe players were conspicuous by their absence: where was Junior Hoilett? What about Luke Young who has stepped out for the reserves? Couldn't he have played some of the up and coming kids in the squad? All are part of Redknapp's plans for the future so what use would poisoning them in this conspiracy be?

Barring Zamora, who needed game time after a long layoff, the bench was conspicuous by its absence, too. Clint Hill was left alone despite some woeful defending, Shaun Derry was told not to worry about coming on and balancing the midfield and Stephane Mbia was given the day off from taking control of the middle of the park.

Even when the third went in with full-on 40 minutes left on the clock, Redknapp remained unmoved. In fact, I've never seen him less animated.

So, it was little surprise when in the post-match press conference he used his soapbox to tell the world how certain players have been knocking on his door saying they should play, and other people have been telling him how good other players are and they should play.

As Mr Redknapp said: "If you look at the team today, what is it? An England goalkeeper [Rob Green], a right-back from Manchester United [Fabio], a left-back in Armand Traore.

"You've got Anton Ferdinand and Tal Ben Haim, then Esteban Granero from Real Madrid. You've got Ale Faurlin, Park Ji-Sung from Manchester United, Jamie Mackie, Jay Bothroyd and DJ Campbell.

"I gave them a chance today because they knock on my door and say they should be playing and other people tell me they are all good players.

"Well, they got their chance today and they blew it. It answers questions -- not for me because I already knew the answer, but for other people. Today they saw the answers."

Expect plenty of activity in the dying embers of the transfer market at Loftus Road. My money is on Park disappearing, Granero going out on loan, DJ Campbell being sold on, Ferdinand offloaded to Turkey -- and some serious money spent with the salary savings.

Follow Sean Smith on Twitter @seanshorn

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