Arsenal: Sokratis expectations have to be evolving with time

Arsenal’s defense has very little they can count on, but as Sokratis grows into the team, our expectations have to be growing as well.

Arsenal are now in their second straight season with a defense that just leaves a lot to be desired. Many wanted wholesale solutions following the debacle last season, but the big solution wasn’t what many expected. The big solution was a free Stephan Lichtsteiner and a budget Sokratis, who had fallen out of favor at Borussia Dortmund.

I wasn’t alone in not being all that thrilled with Sokratis. Such that when he first arrived, all I was hoping to get out of him was a bit of holding down the spot until some young players could grow into the role. I saw him as a caretaker more than anything else.

This perspective started to evolve, however. When paired with the oftentimes erratic Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis became a guardian angel of sorts, cleaning up the German’s messes while taking care of his own as well.

And then the back three was rolled out, with Sokratis at the center of the three, and it was clear that he could clean up after two centerbacks, not just one. I started to use one word to describe him – “sentinel” – and I still use it any time I refer to him.

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Nowadays, I’m wondering it Sokratis can play until he’s 50. I don’t want him to ever abandon the post that he has. His nuisance-y antics are what I have dreamed about from an Arsenal player for years. He’s that guy you hate to face, but love to have.

He has become a source of serious reliability on a club that doesn’t have anything else like that on the defense. With so many pieces moving around him, with Koscielny’s return, Holding’s injury, Mustafi’s injury/erratic nature, I have come to see Sokratis as the only thing that I can consistently count on to do his part in everything, and maybe some other people’s parts as well.

When he is needed to control the aerial game, he does it. When he is needed to boss opposing forwards, he does it.

And as he continues to develop into this defense, I find that my expectations of him are growing. But why shouldn’t he continue to grow to meet those exact expectations? I just asked of him to be our version of Virgil van Dijk against Liverpool.

When he first arrived, I wanted him to be a fill-in caretaker and now I’m asking him to be Virgil van Dijk.

Which just goes to show how well he has settled in. I have very rarely been disappointed in the Greek defender this year. Every time I ask something of him, he delivers. So let’s see how far we can ride that.