Sokratis Papastathopoulos: Mentor to Plato and Holding

[Ceballinhos]

It is so frustrating.

Everytime I was thinking we might have found some balance and a solid partnership, we get screwed by injuries.

First Holding when the back 3 was working well against Tottenham & Liverpool at home.
Then Bellerin a few games after he came back from injury...

The Koscielny/Sokratis partnership was promising, they've just played a single game & both gets injured.

We're cursed.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

It was so obvious that we were left short in the summer. Even with the injuries we essentially went into the season with Sokratis, Mustafi, two young CB's and an aging Koscielny returning from an awful injury. Our defence has been awful all season barring a few occasions were we managed to get a solid partnership formed but it usually didn't last very long.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

We're so boned without this guy.

 

[celestis]

We're so boned without this guy.

 

[celestis]

Hopefully Emery will think best defence is offence .

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Hopefully Emery will think best defence is offence .

We can only hope.

More likely we end up with a back five and instructions to just increase our cutbacks-per-minute.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

So that another guy out for month. I'm really worried against man city kosh and mustafi will lead us to disasters

 

[A_G]

So that another guy out for month. I'm really worried against man city kosh and mustafi will lead us to disasters

Last season we played 3 at the back there with Coq in defence might see Elneny or Xhaka this time

 

[Camron]

Everything about this club is a joke at this moment.

Oh well, transition season...

 

[blaze_of_glory]

So that another guy out for month. I'm really worried against man city kosh and mustafi will lead us to disasters

We're losing by at least 3 goals to City, and I usually like our chances against them.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Everything about this club is a joke at this moment.

Oh well, transition season...

Yeah, can only hope we have a drastic improvement next year. Problem is we probably need that CL money to help fund it.

 

[TakeChillPill]

He's the only decent defender we have. He's actually more than decent, he's excellent. Everytime he's played he's been our best defender.

No surprised we struggled when he went off, really hope we can get him fit asap.

 

[razörist]

Out till the end of February we are totally ****ed.

 

[Aevi]

I'd seriously consider recalling Bielik if anything. He has ability.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

I'd seriously consider recalling Bielik if anything. He has ability.

Not sure if this is true but:

 

[A_G]

maybe not as bad as we thought?

 

[tap-in]

I'd rather play Medley than use Lichtsteiner, Xhaka or Monreal. He may be young but at least he's a CB.

 

[Tom349]

Good game, however he deserves criticism for his foul on Lamela which led to the penalty from the free kick. Just like Mustafi didn't need to make the challenge on Kane, Papa didn't need jump over Lamela and win the ball.

Going forward he needs to be smarter with these kind of fouls as he did the same thing for Sp**s first goal at the Emirates in December.

 

[Malky]

Feel like he should be our captain next season, he's a leader, a no nonsense, old school defender that we've been needing for years.
That's the 2nd game against Sp**s that he's completely bullied Kane. Need him to do the same to Lukaku next week!!

 

[Beast Incarnate]

One day I want to go through the thread and name and shame all the members that wrote him off after a pre-season friendly against Boreham Wood.