What we have learnt so far

• Van Persie’s presence allows Manchester United to keep going without Wayne Rooney
• Rodgers needs to make his philosophy work and fast or he can take it to the unemployment bureau
• Spurs have developed a taste for the finer things in football such as Champions League football and you cannot get there by drawing all your games

It is three games into the season and time perhaps to pause and take down a few notes on what we have learnt from the first few games of the season.

Robin is Vantastic

In his first Manchester United appearance, Robin Van Persie had no shot on goal as United lost 1-0 to Everton. He has since scored four goals in two games including a match winning hat trick against Southampton last weekend.

More importantly, Van Persie’s presence allows Manchester United to keep going without Wayne Rooney. For the first time in a long while, the Englishman is injured but there is no sense of panic or alarm at Old Trafford.

Van Persie aside, Manchester United have issues at the back and in mid field. Evra is not as dependable as he once was, and in mid field no one has yet put on a convincing performance.

Philosophy must deliver points

Unless you have just left prison you have probably heard about Liverpool’s new philosophy and the man behind Brendan Rodgers. The club is attempting to overhaul their game and adopt a fluent passing game the kind Rodgers brought to Swansea last season.

They have brought in players like Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin to help make the adjustment and shoved aside expensive waste of space type players like Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam.

One can see the results; Liverpool are playing a lot more attractive football but the passing can become too much as it cost them three points against Man City when Skrtel tried to pass the ball back to his keeper rather than hoof it forward.

Last weekend a passing move broke down and Arsenal scored from the counter attack. Rodgers needs to make his philosophy work and fast or he can take it to the unemployment bureau.

The Blue tides

Chelsea and Manchester City have set the pace for the season. Chelsea have won all their three games, while Man City have won two and drawn one.

Both teams have not been at their best and have gotten pushed to the limit: Man City by both Southampton and Liverpool while Chelsea struggled against Reading; but the important thing is they managed to get the points on every occasion and that is how teams win championships.

Man City brought in four new players on transfer deadline day: defenders Maicon and Natajasic from Italy, holding midfielder Javi Garcia from Benfica and winger Scott Sinclair from Swansea. Other than Garcia and perhaps Maicon who will have to fight Micah Richards off, none of the rest is a guaranteed starter.

Andre Villas Boas just has no luck

Spurs have three points from three games and in two of those games they led and conceded late equalizers. Ouch! Andre needs luck to tun his way quickly. Spurs have developed a taste for the finer things in football such as Champions League football and you cannot get there by drawing all your games.

The arrivals of Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele make Spurs a much stronger team especially with the departures of Van Der Vaart and Modric

Carzola is a gem