Arsenal: Sokratis is one thing; he’s a proper defender

Arsenal are seemingly set to sign Sokratis Papastathopoulos. While there is much debate surrounding his utility, there is one thing that he is for sure: a proper defender.

Whenever a new player is signed by a club, it is natural for everyone to state their opinion of that player. Sometimes, and it is rare, I admit, there are those that are humble enough to concede that they do not know enough about the player. But, most of the time, fans want to hold a stance on a particular player. And Arsenal fans are not different.

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That is precisely what happened what the news broke that Sokratis Papastathapoloulos was set to join for a reported £16 million from Borussia Dortmund. Naturally, everybody had their own takes on the player, what he meant for the current squad, how it revealed the plans of the new era with Arsene Wenger now departed, and the way in which he would fit into the side. And I was no different.

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My take was this: Sokratis is a solid, experienced, accomplished defender for an excellent price, but there are warts to his game that must be acknowledged and improved upon if he is to truly bolster the defence. There were some more negative than I was, citing the lapse and loose Dortmund defence as support for their opinion, and there were some who were more praising of the signing, claiming that Sokratis was a steal at his price, a price that was depleted somewhat because he had only a year remaining on his contract.

There was a wide-range of opinion, with no one really sure what to expect from the Greek international. However, there is one thing that I believe everyone will agree on, irrespective of their perspective on his overall game and effectiveness: Sokratis is a real, traditional and true defender, and that is something that Arsenal have needed for some time.

Strong and powerful, Sokratis is a defend-first player. He wants to stop the progress of the opposition before he thinks about furthering his own team’s attacks. He is a stopper, more than anything, and his mentality is such.

Rather than tending towards the ball-playing revolution that has taken place at centre-half in recent years, Sokratis is built in the traditional mould: dominant in the air, tough in the tackle, perhaps a little slow across the ground but understands how to use his frame, enjoys the physical battle and is as happy to fight as he is to play.

Some would question whether that is needed in the game anymore. Others may doubt whether that style of defending is a successful strategy in the speedy, precise modern game. Many have expressed their concern that just because Sokratis can scrap, it does not mean that he can defend — I myself have made that point.

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But no matter your opinion on his quality, his utility and his effectiveness, one thing that no one can deny is that Sokratis is a proper defender. That might be just what is required.