COMMENT: There's two players out there who could win Manchester City the Premier League. Two players who would still have Jose Mourinho in the Chelsea job. Two players. Two British players...
When it comes to finding the right centre-half, both clubs have failed miserably.
Why Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano at City are tying themselves up in knots. Why Michael Emenalo, with Chelsea, has been trying to reinvent the wheel. Well, we'll let you decide...
But there's obviously something not getting through when you have Ashley Williams at Swansea City and Ryan Shawcross at Stoke City playing as they are, yet none of the bigger clubs have come in for them.
Would you take Eliaquim Mangala over Shawcross, City fans? Nicolas Otamendi over Williams? And as for Chelsea, while Everton were digging in their heels over John Stones, with the right offer, Williams or Shawcross would have been allowed to make the move. Instead, Emenalo delivered Mourinho, erm, Papy Djilobodji and Michael Hector. Now, is it really a stretch to suggest Chelsea would be in a far better position today if Williams, captain of Swansea and Wales, was among the Blues back four?
And what about City? It's unfair to level an anti-Brit accusation at Begiristain and Ferran Soriano. Their canny deal for Fabian Delph proof they recognise local quality. But surely there'd be a bit more stability if they'd moved for Mancunian Shawcross ahead of Otamendi or persisting with Mangala?
Mark Hughes, the Stoke manager, says Shawcross is playing out of his skin. As far as an England recall, he couldn't do anymore. With so much defensive uncertainty amongst the title chasing pack, that Shawcross hasn't even been mentioned as a potential target this winter market is baffling.
Sir Alex Ferguson's first significant signing at Manchester United was Steve Bruce - the Shawcross of his day. Rejected by Newcastle United (as Shawcross was offloaded by United), the Geordie worked his way back to the top through the lower leagues. Ferguson brought him to Old Trafford, from Norwich City, at the age of 26. And the English football landscape changed forever.
Two years later, Fergie was beaten by Kenny Dalglish to the signing of Fiorentina's 28 year-old Swedish centre-half Glenn Hysen. That season, Liverpool won their last League title, with Hysen's presence vital.
Y'see, back then, there was no Moneyball. No academics with laptops. You saw a good footballer and you signed him. You weren't chained to a readout of nonsensical data.
It's actually wrong to say Williams was ignored by the big clubs this past year. Sources close to Brendan Rodgers say he wanted to sign his former Swansea captain for Liverpool last summer. But at 29, the deal was blocked. Williams was just too old for Liverpool's laptop wizards.
Now, with Rodgers out and Jurgen Klopp in, another raft of exotic sounding centre-halves are being linked with Anfield. Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic at Borussia Dortmund. Jeison Murillo at Inter Milan. Klopp's scouts are being sent everywhere, except opposition Premier League grounds - particularly not to the Liberty, nor the Brit.
Stones apart, you don't sign a centre-half for his flair. His primary job is to defend. Which is exactly the strength of Williams and Shawcross. That they're both captain of their clubs and know the Premier League inside-out is an added bonus. But primarily, they're simply two tough, outstanding defensive-minded players. Both of whom should be playing at a higher level.
It's not as if City suffer from Liverpool's Moneyball obsession. Manuel Pellegrini won the League, having added 33 year-old Martin Demichelis to his back four that season. Two years on, the need for such a similar move is obvious. Just as Petr Cech has made the difference at Arsenal, so Williams or Shawcross can with City. You slot Williams or Shawcross into that back four and the uncertainty created everytime Mangala takes the field disappears.
Chelsea and Liverpool should restrict the exotic transfer gambles to their attacking positions. At the back, they both need experience and security.
John Terry is a pure defender, as was Jamie Carragher. Why rip up the blueprint for some continental roll of the dice? Williams and Shawcross should be the two hottest transfer properties this month.
INJURY TIME
Plenty of buzz around Crystal Palace after the investment of Joshua Harris and David Blitzer.
But this really has to be tempered. Indeed, you actually fear for Palace after getting into the bed with these Moneyball disciples.
Hopefully, among all the contracts signed, Steve Parish and his partners made sure there was an agreement - in stone - that the football people will be allowed to set out and manage transfer policy.
Harris' NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers, proudly boast a scouting system based only on computer data. That's it. There's no talent spotters. Just statistical analysts. If such a rubbish approach is allowed to slip through at Selhurst Park, how is Alan Pardew going to handle that?
This is no Pozzo family. The Pozzos are football people. Watford's emergence this season a triumph for football nous over the laptop wowsers. And they don't play favourites. Udinese is their love, but Watford, after just six months in the Premier League, have jumped from third rank to now the priority ahead of the Zebrette and Granada in the Pozzo portfolio.
The Italians have shown how a foreign owned club network can work.
As for Palace, you'd like to think for the first meeting with the new board, the Supporters' Trust make it a priority to gain assurances that Harris and Blitzer's love of the Moneyball system stays in the 'States.
