Sokratis says he’s improved so much under Unai Emery this season that he believes the Spaniard is the best coach he’s played for.
It’s quite a statement when you consider the Greece international has worked with Massimiliano Allegri at AC Milan, Thomas Schaaf at Werder Bremen and Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund.
While the Gunners haven’t exactly looked comfortable at the back this season – in part to do with the implementation of Emery’s ‘play from the back’ policy – the 30-year-old has enjoyed a solid first year in England making 39 appearances. In pretty much every one of those games he was the biggest shithouse on the pitch, which certainly seemed to endear him to the Arsenal faithful.
Speaking ahead of the Europa League final with Chelsea, Sokratis explained why he’s been so impressed with Emery. “He’s the best coach I had in my career,” he told the Guardian. “That’s because I have improved a lot under him. I play faster than one, two or three years ago.
“I think more and I make better decisions and his coaches do a lot of individual work with us. You can also see that because of the number of young players coming through.”
Whether Sokratis actually believes that or not we’ll never know. But it’s certainly the right thing to say ahead of a major European final when collective belief is so important.
Luck will also play a part, which is why the Greek defender will be bringing some friends to watch and not others.
“I take the people who have watched me play before – and we won,” he explains. “The others I ‘put out’. It’s like ‘black arts’. Four or five will come. I hope that they bring us luck.”
Sokratis, like so many of the first team squad, also had his say on the Mkhitaryan situation. He’s certain that a player with whom he played in Germany, will be a big miss.
He said, “I don’t like to be in his position, really. I am very sad he will not be with us. He’s a good player and a very big player. And you know some times political things, something out of football. Of course, we are sad but we also have to play for him and for the players who were injured in the year.”
Umm I think they should win it for us, before winning it for Mikitikitaryan. To be blunt, I can’t predict if he would have a good game in the final anyways.
I couldn’t give a shit who they win it for as long as they fucking win it.
Let’s not kid ourselves. If they were to win it, it’ll be for themselves first, their families and then the fans as it should be.
I think all the players were making big strides in development. Just when key personnel, ie bellerin and holding got injured did we have to make big system changes to 3 at the back, is when the development of iwobi, torreira and xhaka dropped. And the system also exposed Niles weakness in concentration when he has no cover on the right flank
“Whether Sokratis actually believes that or not we’ll never know”
Why not? why would he lie about something like that?
How many times have heard an Arsenal player come forth to praise Emery by now. All of them seem to hold him and his football to a high regard. Which makes me hopeful we’re yet to see the best from the coach, of course that is if he gets backed in the summer market.
How many Arsenal players have you heard criticise the Arsenal manager at the time? And especially before a final?
Though I’m also not saying he is lying, I’d love it to be the truth given the other managers Sokratis has played for.
You don’t hear players come out and criticise but they don’t usually come out with much beyond the usual stuff players say. Iwobi, Xhaka and Bellerin have all spoken about how emery has improved them and been very specific in what they say with regards to analysis, one on one coaching etc
Look at the Arsenal YouTube page. It’s filled with propaganda lately. We better win this final after all this lol. I mean, us fans don’t need the push to really want this win. But the players sure as hell better turn up (not just literally)
I’ve already convinced myself we’ve lost this one, I find if I carry rock bottom expectations then losing football games becomes much easier.
I adjusted them after the summer transfer window of 2011 and they’ve just continued to get lower and lower from there.
I’m a big fan of Papa. Felt like a bit of a stop-gap signing at the time but he’s been essential in a season full of defensive inconsistency. Not saying he’s perfect but anyone looking to speak ill of him can look at the fact we didn’t finish mid-table as proof of his importance. And looking at the final, I was worried about our missing players (the likes of Bellerin, Holding, Ramsey), but having read Chelsea’s injury list, we may be better off. Barring Ramsey and Mkhitaryan we’ve had time to adapt to our missing players. Whereas Cheeselea have just… Read more »
Never mind of course reality, there have been many times Mustafi has made critical clearances too because Skratis decided to do a spot of wrestling and got bypassed.
Don’t offend reality by pretending to comprehend it.
The Battle of Matteo Guendouzi and David Luiz
Rapunzel
If they both go for the same header we may witness some form of quantum entanglement!
Or David is just gonna pull Matteo’s gorgeous hair out of jealousy…
that’s a pretty damning statement, he must really mean it because he could’ve done like the others and say he’s just a good manager. For the first time in his career he’s been given a chance to build a proper project so its interesting to see how this”ll pan out, he’s very talented, determined, passionate and intelligent so i have great faith in him.
What a polar opossite between his comments and mustafi’s.
I will be very very pissed if we still have mustafi here next season, no matter how spectacular his performance will be in the final