Arsenal: Sokratis more of a side dish than an entree

Arsenal have come out looking like geniuses for landing Sokratis, but for as good as he is, he has proven to be a side dish more than an entree.

I was one of many who doubted the arrival of Sokratis when Arsenal announced the completion of the signing over the summer. I’m not sure what I actually expected (Jerome Boateng), but it just felt a little underwhelming.

It ended up being nothing of the sort. Sokratis has been a tremendous asset, he’s been a hard-nosed, no-nonsense defender (minus that one time…) and he has helped infuse a little spine into a club that has been criticized for their lack of in recent years.

Even when paired up with Shkodran Mustafi early in the year, Sokratis kept the defense from crumbling. He often had to serve as the baby sitter of the German, but it ended up being an above average set-up.

However, Sokratis wasn’t the solution. The solution wasn’t unlocked until Laurent Koscielny came back into the mix at the turn of the new calendar year. Koscielny, when slipping in next to Sokratis, was the solution.

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You can tell by the different that each player makes when paired with Mustafi (that sounds a lot worse than it is…). When Koscielny was with Mustafi, there were issues (as there will always be), but overall, it wasn’t awful. Same goes with Sokratis and Mustafi, but in the latter, there was more weakness. Especially when you started talking back three, because Sokratis doesn’t usually work well in a wide centerback role (unless you count Manchester United).

Sokratis is such a valuable asset, but he’s an asset that needs the right partner next to him to get the most out of. Which is why it’s so important not to go lightly into this summer transfer window. If the idea is to phase out Koscielny, then the club needs to get a player who can be just as demonstrative as Koscielny is, all while paired with Sokratis.

The defensive situation is a bit of a question mark, because Sokratis isn’t young either. So if they want to maximize the last few years he can give the club, they need to keep him with Koscielny (who is only around for one more year) or someone equally as effective.

Because at the end of the day, he isn’t an entree of a defender. He’s a side dish. I don’t mean that as an insult though. Never underestimate the importance of a good side dish (love me some potatoes).