Arsenal: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang already has the champ in his corner

Arsenal have only just acquired Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but the ultimate defense is already in his corner. Which has to be refreshing.

Arsenal have a lot of things that they are known for, particularly under the Arsene Wenger culture that has dominated the past two decades of the club. They are known for looking fantastic on paper and in brief spurts. They are known for loyalty and doing things differently. They are known for Wengerball.

But another thing they are known for is Wenger’s undying commitment to never, ever, say anything bad about a player to the press. And this is something Sir Alex Ferguson did as well and something that I find incredibly admirable.

Especially when you have jokes like Jose Mourinho throwing players under the bus left and right. Although, I’m not sure how you throw someone under a parked bus (Ha! I’ll get my coat…).

Anyway, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did not have a pleasant close to his Broussia Dortmund career. Sporting Director Michael Zorc was all over the Gabonese striker’s integrity, criticizing his commitment to the team, lambasting his off-pitch antics and really laying into him.

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Without knowing the full story, it’s silly to speculate on what actually happened, but there have been people flying to Aubameyang’s defense, claiming it wasn’t all his fault. But, like I said, we don’t really know what happened in its entirety.

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Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has also not held back, as he, too, has accused Aubameyang of withholding performances to force a departure.

Anytime the integrity of an Arsenal player is called into question, there is the champ of player defense, ready to swoop in like a super lawyer and, right on time, here come Wenger to defend his man (as quoted by Goal.com):

"If you look well at the history, he played only one game. He played, they suspended him for two or three games. One before the [winter] break and one after the break. So he played only one game at home, where they played a 2-2 against Werder Bremen [sic, Freiburg]. So maybe he was not ready physically to perform at his best, but I don’t believe that he didn’t want to perform."

This is so typically, beautifully Arsene Wenger and I hope that Aubameyang is feeling the warmth of the father (as Gabriel Paulista put it) of the club (the current club, I’m not claiming Wenger is the father of all of Arsenal history).

Next: 3 Reasons To Bank On Alexandre Lacazette Return

Wenger has his flaws, as does everyone else. But you can never doubt the class of this man, and for that, I will always be proud to have him at the helm.