You could see it coming. After the first of three bad challenges in which he kneed a Rennes attacker in the back, Sokratis, to avoid receiving a yellow card, held up his index finger, as if to suggest that he did not deserve one because it was his first foul. The referee obliged.
But then, just moments later, he committed a similarly egregious foul, sliding in at the feet on Hatem ben Arfa, felling the French attacker. He received his first booking, despite his protestations. From that point on, he must defend conservatively and smartly. Sadly, when Ismaila Sarr made a dangerous run in behind him, he did neither. Sokratis, instead of dropping off, held out his arm and pulled down the racing winger.
Sokratis is to blame for being sent off, no doubt. But these kind of performances are going to happen when you defend in an aggressive, front-footed manner. If you take that away from him, you diminish his efficacy. It is frustrating, yes, but it is still only his first sending off the season. Sometimes, it happens, even if it shouldn’t.
It was the first, and hopefully last, time that I’ve seen Sokratis look so woefully unequipped for play. Like he’d had bad tuna salad before the match and was just determined to get off the pitch and get out of there.
Because honestly, bad tuna salad is more believable than that this stoic defender was capable of making so many rash decisions in a row.
All I can say is “what the hell?”
Like, Alexandre Lacazette elbows a guy in the face. I get that. he was frustrated. But Sokratis doing this? Inexplicable.