Arsenal and Sokratis Papastathapoulos: The perfect signing

Arsenal are nearing the signing of Sokratis Papastathopoulos. The Borussia Dortmund centre-half is the perfect option precisely because he’s different.

There has been a lot written about the imminent signing of Sokratis Papastathopoulos with opinions spanning from a perfect addition to a 29-year-old not suited to Arsenal’s ‘philosophy.’

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It is definitely fair to say that Arsenal are acquiring a different breed of centre back, a proper defender with attributes that include aerial dominance, aggression, organisation and most strikingly an ability to make goal-saving blocks.

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Arsenal’s strategy over the last few years has involved investing in technically good centre-backs to create a team adept at ball retention. In hindsight, though, this has been the problem all along. History tells us that successful Arsenal teams have always found the appropriate balance of proper defenders (who prioritise clean sheets over pass-completion statistics) that offset other technically advanced footballers, exampled by the likes of Martin Keown, Tony Adams and Sol Campbell. The arrival of Sokratis will add a complimentary skill set to the current playing staff and bring some much-needed balance.

Most exciting is the potential impact on the current stable of defenders, most notably Laurent Koscielny. Rewinding to 2014, Koscielny was considered an elite centre back with world recognition for his reading of the game and recovery pace. Whilst age and injuries have undoubtedly played a factor in his deterioration, there is also a tactical reason that is often missed by the media and our supporters.

Koscielny’s form peaked around 2014 having formed an effectively one-dimensional partnership with Per Mertesacker. Predominantly, Mertesacker would defend higher up the pitch, including proactively attacking the ball in the air, whilst Koscielny was afforded a sweeping role that lent itself perfectly to his strengths with him clearing up behind, utilising his recovery pace and waiting for interceptions.

The shortcomings in Mertesacker’s game were so apparent that it led to a clear and transparent defensive strategy: defend with a high line, but if the ball isn’t won early, retreat to the 18-yard line and defend in and around the box. Such a partnership gave both players a role suited to their strengths but also offered clarity to the whole team on the defensive approach.

In recent times, defining Arsenal’s defensive approach has been almost impossible. Koscielny in the post-Mertesacker era has held partnerships with the likes of Gabriel Paulista and Shkodran Mustafi (almost mirror images of himself) but such combinations have blurred the lines between each man’s role and has led to a period of defensive instability which has seen an increase in goals conceded season by season — 36 in 2016 to 44 in 2017 to 51 in 2018.

Sokratis will bring back much-needed qualities in terms of aerial competitiveness and a proficiency in defending in and around the 18-yard box. But, more importantly, he will bring back clarity, transparency and organisation to the defensive approach. Players like Koscielny (and also the likes of Mustafi and Calum Chambers) will benefit from playing with a complementary type of defender and will be better suited to performing a sweeper-type role that is more aligned to their strengths and attributes.

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Recent years have seen Arsenal develop a group of centre backs that are almost exclusively sweepers. Consequently, the defence has become confused and, ultimately, proven to be ineffective. Centre-backs of a different profile are few and far between today, with youth development more focused on technicality rather than tenacity, so to have acquired Sokratis, a proven top level talent, is a very shrewd move indeed. You could say that he’s the perfect signing.

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