Why im asking, is that i notice a very similar pattern with Wenger recently - since Cesc, Nasri and RvP burned him, he seems to go for guys who are mentally much more grounded, all around good guys with tremendous hunger to improve as footballers and with a point to prove. It started with Arteta and Per. Koscielny, Cazorla, Giroud, Monreal, Özil, Alexis, Debuchy, Welbeck, Gabriel and Cech - all guys who are not known as arrogant, partygoers or selfish.

That's why im having bit of a hard time believing he will go for Benzema, for example. As he seems a bit dim, outside the football pitch. Of course, there is a line you probably have to draw as well. You cant expect to build a world class team, only consisting of choir boys. But the pattern is definitely there and Götze has already once pulled a similar stunt as the guys who burned him and im not sure Wenger wants a disruptive personality, like him, in his dressing room.

We thought van Persie and Cesc were 'good guys' as well. You'll never know till it happens.

jones wrote:

I'm not saying Dortmund are not at fault at all by the way, maybe they could have done better. But to cite Götze being a Bayern fan when he signed at Dortmund aged nine isn't a strong argument for me, that's the same age Hammers fan Wilshere signed for us.

Hey, I'm not saying it wasn't a shitty move. I'm just saying he did it to Dortmund and not to us. We took Sol Campbell who did something similar. I don't regret that signing even though I would have hated him if he'd done it to us, like van Persie did. I think the moral of the van Persie and Campbell stories is that you never know who will try to fuck you over until it happens. Even Tony Adams admitted that he wanted to move elsewhere shortly before Wenger turned up at Highbury.

Edit: What Mirth is saying, basically. You deal with it if it becomes a problem and assemble the best possible squad meanwhile. Götze's talent is unquestionable to me and he doesn't seem like an asshole in his private life.

Mirth wrote:

We thought van Persie and Cesc were 'good guys' as well. You'll never know till it happens.

Actually we didnt. RvP was known to be a total prick since his youth days.

Mirth wrote:

We thought van Persie and Cesc were 'good guys' as well. You'll never know till it happens.

Van Persie especially. He seemed Arsenal through and through before he turned into a cunt.

Fabregas you could always feel like he wasn't 100% Arsenal. The way he forced his move to Barcelona showed he only cared for himself, so joining Chelsea didn't surprise me at all.

marv3llous wrote:
Mirth wrote:

We thought van Persie and Cesc were 'good guys' as well. You'll never know till it happens.

Actually we didnt. RvP was known to be a total prick since his youth days.

Yeah, van Persie was a prick when he was 19 but for different reasons, he used to get into fights with other people. He didn't screw them around though.

The only player I actually trust in the squad is Koscielny - don't know what he is like as a person but he just seems so content at the club and grateful with those who have helped him that I can't imagine him uprooting and leaving without everyone's blessing.

wussed wrote:
Mirth wrote:

We thought van Persie and Cesc were 'good guys' as well. You'll never know till it happens.

Van Persie especially. He seemed Arsenal through and through before he turned into a cunt.

Fabregas you could always feel like he wasn't 100% Arsenal. The way he forced his move to Barcelona showed he only cared for himself, so joining Chelsea didn't surprise me at all.

Fabregas was the slimiest one of them all. At least van Persie (and Nasri) had the balls to say, look I don't like the ways things are over here, I'm going to United.

Fabregas still likes to feed off any goodwill. I wouldn't boo him or direct any vitriol at him but I was pretty surprised that fans applauded him off the last time we played.

Klaus wrote:

He's sharp and educated, and those types don't always mix well with the rest of the team. He comes from an academic family where school was important. I think I've read that he did some form of apprenticeship at Dortmund's offices as part of his business degree.

Sounds like something Wenger would find favourable in a player. Flamini for instance did a law degree.

Mirth wrote:
marv3llous wrote:

Actually we didnt. RvP was known to be a total prick since his youth days.

Yeah, van Persie was a prick when he was 19 but for different reasons, he used to get into fights with other people. He didn't screw them around though.

The only player I actually trust in the squad is Koscielny - don't know what he is like as a person but he just seems so content at the club and grateful with those who have helped him that I can't imagine him uprooting and leaving without everyone's blessing.

He has always been an arrogant guy. We have heard plenty of him being quite nasty with some younger guys in the squad well into his Arsenal career and up until the final years of his career with us.

marv3llous wrote:
Mirth wrote:

Yeah, van Persie was a prick when he was 19 but for different reasons, he used to get into fights with other people. He didn't screw them around though.

The only player I actually trust in the squad is Koscielny - don't know what he is like as a person but he just seems so content at the club and grateful with those who have helped him that I can't imagine him uprooting and leaving without everyone's blessing.

He has always been an arrogant guy. We have heard plenty of him being quite nasty with some younger guys in the squad well into his Arsenal career and up until the final years of his career with us.

So was Henry.

Qwiss! wrote:
Klaus wrote:

He's sharp and educated, and those types don't always mix well with the rest of the team. He comes from an academic family where school was important. I think I've read that he did some form of apprenticeship at Dortmund's offices as part of his business degree.

Sounds like something Wenger would find favourable in a player. Flamini for instance did a law degree.

Wenger seems to prefer guys with good hearts nowdays. Does Mario have a good heart? Dont know, what he did to Dortmund was quite cold.

Mirth wrote:
marv3llous wrote:

He has always been an arrogant guy. We have heard plenty of him being quite nasty with some younger guys in the squad well into his Arsenal career and up until the final years of his career with us.

So was Henry.

The old Invincibles side was always meant to be sold for profit while maintaining a young squad who could reach CL though.

Qwiss! wrote:
Klaus wrote:

He's sharp and educated, and those types don't always mix well with the rest of the team. He comes from an academic family where school was important. I think I've read that he did some form of apprenticeship at Dortmund's offices as part of his business degree.

Sounds like something Wenger would find favourable in a player. Flamini for instance did a law degree.

Yeah, Gilberto had some education back in Brazil too and had worked a real dayjob. Other past favourites of his like Henry and van Persie were clearly intelligent guys too. And he seems to get along well with Kos, who I think was studying at higher levels back in France. I think it's something he values.

Hairdresser is he?

DEUG (2 year degree) in STAPS (sports science) from Tours and Montpellier.

Every player who joins Arsenal have to do a series of written tests that Wenger sets.

Not sure if any transfer failed to materialise just because the player did not pass the test though.

Now we know why we didn't sign ribery back in the day 😆

So that's the test Zlatan refused to take 😆

Is that really true, Clarence? Can't remember reading about that.