5 ways Sokratis Papastathopoulos will improve Arsenal FC

#2 His mentality

Bayern Muenchen v Borussia Dortmund - DFB Cup

As previously stated, Arsenal have conceded more goals this season as compared to any season of theirs since the formation of the Premier League. The main reason behind the high frequency of the ball ending up in our own net is sloppy and lethargic defending. Many a times the Arsenal centre halves were asleep at crucial moments, took up poor defensive positions, and got caught out by mentally sharp attackers. The centre halves were more concerned with how they could play the ball out and how they could pass the ball rather than focusing on how to win the ball and their main job: defending.

Sokratis has received lots of praise for his 'love' to defend. His fight, his determination and his warrior-like spirit are all attributes that one loves to see in a defender. He is not afraid to use his physicality to his advantage and is no push over when it comes to defending. However, all these qualities come at the cost of a number of fouls and the continuous risk of getting booked. He may also make a few errors and get caught out of position at times. However, having a defender who keeps defending as his priority and would inculcate his ethics on his peers is invaluable and a huge asset to the club. Here are a few words from his Arsenal interview:

“I’m a normal defender who likes to defend. I like that my team doesn’t [concede] goals and I like the zero in the defence of course. I will do everything to help achieve these goals. I think that a defender first has to defend, to protect the goal, and then after if he can help in front a little bit for the game, then it’s good. But first of all, he has to defend.”