Arsenal and Sokratis: I could not have been more wrong

When Arsenal signed Sokratis last summer, I was rather hesitant about the move. However, in his first season at the club, I have been completely proven wrong.

Traditionally, I should have been really pleased with Arsenal pursuing Borussia Dortmund centre-half Sokratis. For many years, it has pained me to see the complete absence of a hard-nosed, thorough-bred defender at the heart of the Gunners back four.

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I have watched Chelsea build title-winning teams on John Terry, Manchester United enjoy extended success with Nemanja Vidic, Vincent Kompany lift trophy after trophy with Manchester City, Liverpool revolutionised by the presence of one man, Virgil van Dijk.

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In essence, these players are true defenders. While van Dijk especially is also extremely comfortable in possession, consistently raking beautiful passes across the pitch, the basis of these players game is defending. They are defend-first players and they have been the bedrock of their teams’ success. And Sokratis, while perhaps not in the same calibre of player, is of the same mould: he is a defend-first centre-back. That is precisely the kind of signing that I have been desperate for Arsenal to make for many years.

And yet, when the news was announced last summer, I was somewhat cautious about the move. I liked the fee. I liked the fact that he was an instant, affordable improvement at a key position of need. But I wondered about his quality and questioned whether another signing at the centre-back position would be needed to replace him a year later.

Well, after almost a full season at the club, I think it is more than fair to say that I was completely and utterly wrong. Sokratis has been phenomenal, the cornerstone of a much-improved Arsenal defence, his absence drastically felt with the mistake-riddled Shkodran Mustafi coming into the team in his stead.

What has been most pleasing about Sokratis’ first season at the club has been the shift in mentality that he has demanded of those around him. Many of the players in the Arsene Wenger era did not care for defending. They did not celebrate a great slide tackle, they had little time for the physical battle that some teams would inflict on them, they did not appreciate the dirty side of the game.

But that is where Sokratis excels. He is 6-foot-2 of muscle, as geared towards punching the opponent in the mouth as he is kicking the ball with his feet. He searches out the fight. He relishes the physical challenges of the Premier League. He fist pumps whenever he slide tackles an opponent, clearing out both the ball and their legs. He is a proper defender.

Sokratis has been nothing short of a revelation throughout his first season. My hesitance was misplaced. I was wrong. And I am more than happy to admit as much.