The ‘old school’ defender could finally be passing by. The Greek beast is ageing towards the bad side of 30’s and have been declining as a cause. The defender, however, has not reduced his work ethics or has subdued his commitment but it is his lack of talent that is causing him a fade.
A lot of us think that he is not giving his 100% whereas the real problem is not his hard work or training but the talent that he possesses. Sokratis may be Arsenal’s most experienced guy and presently the one who can give his all for Unai Emery but that’s not enough to be donning Emirates.
Sokratis joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund last year for a fee around £14.4 million. And 14 months into his career, the old school lad has definitely been exposed to limitations and critics, simultaneously.
His willingness to be booked is way beyond commendable in terms of respect but where does it gain the Gunners? The defender is always pumped-up to pump his fist for a single tackle which makes us feel that Arsenal have a defender far more better than we think of him to be.
The Greek is not great in building plays from the back either. He is not someone you expect to change the game in an instant from back end of the pitch to the front(someone that Emery would admire to have in his squad).
The stats of Sokratis are not appealing either. According to Whoscored.com, Sokratis has an average performance rating of 6.75 in the Premier League. His defensive records are a nightmare with the centre-back averaging only 1.3 tackles per game, 1.5 blocks a match and less than 1 interception.
His decision during pressure situations is not that of Arsenal defender. The Greek often falters in pressure situations, latest of his error coming against the game of Watford where he gave away the ball to oppositions defence.
Arsenal should get over the ageing defender and better get someone like Caglar Soyuncu, with whom they have been linked too. The Leicester City defender is better in every sphere of football you can think of and his stats are too good for two Sokratis to match. The Turkish defender averages 2.3 tackles per game, 1.5 interceptions and 5.5 clearances over a 90 minute period.
Maybe the time is optimum for Emirates to bid farewell to this ‘old school’ legend and bring in some change.
