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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Before you’ve even started reading this article, it would be easy to guess what you’re thinking.
How on earth could Roy Hodgson possibly be forced to break Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins apart?
The duo helped Crystal Palace keep the sixth-best clean sheet record in the Premier League last season, combining steely defensive work with a calmness on the ball to come out of the 38-game campaign with 12 clean sheets under their belts – averaging a shutout every 3.7 games, which isn’t bad at all.
As per The Athletic, Sakho and Tomkins have played 37 games alongside each other since the Frenchman’s debut in February 2017, recording an impressive 45.9% win ratio while also conceding an average of just 1.1 goals per game.
The balance of the pair is also near perfect. Sakho combines physical strength with excellent composure and passing ability – he is also left-footed, which compliments Tomkins, a right-footed player, on the other side of him.
In the former West Ham man’s case, he is far more no-nonsense than the former Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain defender – some Palace fans may remember Sakho back-heeling the ball inside his own box in the dying minutes of a 2-1 win over Chelsea a few years ago.
So, that prompts the aforementioned question: how could Hodgson break the pair up?
Well, one man’s presence may be the trigger of such a bold move: Gary Cahill.
Having arrived on a free transfer following his departure from Chelsea, the 61-cap England international has been in imperious form since making his Crystal Palace debut.
Cahill made his Eagles bow at Old Trafford against Manchester United – not exactly a simple game to make your debut in.
However, the 33-year-old used all of his experience and know-how to marshal the south Londoners to a historic 2-1 win over the Red Devils, Palace’s first-ever Premier League victory over United.
Cahill made Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week as a result of his performance against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, and the Eagles supporters on Twitter were also extremely impressed with him after that win – additionally, the 33-year-old made The Mirror’s Team of the Week for his second Palace appearance against Aston Villa.
There is no denying the centre-back’s pedigree.
As much as the Selhurst Park faithful adore Tomkins and rate him, Cahill’s trophy cabinet speaks for itself: 2 x Premier League, 2 x FA Cup, 1 x League Cup, 1 x Champions League, 2 x Europa League.
Cahill has also captained the England national team under Hodgson’s tutelage, while he has made the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions.
Tomkins and Cahill are simply incomparable in terms of career achievements and despite the Palace No.5 performing admirably since arriving from London rivals West Ham, it would be utterly foolish to drop Cahill.
At 33 years of age and on a two-year contract, it would be wasteful of Hodgson to remove Cahill from the XI when the former Bolton man is in the twilight of his career. He’s clearly been brought to the club with a purpose.
Palace should be doing their utmost to include Cahill at every given opportunity, and seeing as Sakho is the only left-footed centre-back at the club, Tomkins looks like the man to move aside.
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