Time to end Gallas captaincy
Thu Nov 20 04:50PM
Following William Gallas's revelation of divisions within the Arsenal dressing room, the time has come for Arsenal to find a new skipper. Gallas proved he was not the man for the job at Birmingham last season and his latest outburst has only added more weight to the argument that he should be stripped of the armband.
He was a poor choice of captain even before his infamous sit-in at St Andrews; nine months later and he is million miles from being an ideal leader. He is too much of a disruptive influence.
Arsene Wenger should have acted after the Birmingham game but now he has no choice: Gallas must be ditched as captain - and maybe even offloaded elsewhere in January - if Arsenal's season is not to fall apart.
The last thing Arsenal need - or any team for that matter - is a whistle-blower in the ranks, least of all the man who is supposed to gel the squad together and motivate the players to get the best out of them.
What is said in the dressing room should stay there. If there is a problem, no one else needs to know about it. It is not for public consumption.
Whatever happens needs to be contained there and dealt with in an appropriate way, either at the time or at a later date.
But once it becomes public, you have a big problem on your hands. Now everyone knows that Arsenal's current on-pitch problems - and by that I mean their inconsistency - is not just down to injuries or bad luck or the 'rough-house' tactics employed by opponents.
Their troubles are more deep-seated than that; as a team Arsenal are not united. And considering football is a team game, that will be perceived by opponents as a major weakness.
Gallas has betrayed his team-mates - whatever their faults - by using the international break as an excuse to go to the media and spill the beans.
He may be a vastly experienced player, but some of his decisions beggar belief. Put simply, the latest outburst lacks professionalism.
With the captain's armband comes a certain amount of responsibility for your team-mates. But Gallas has shown no sign of that - he has even admitted he is passing the buck because he does not want to accept the blame any more.
The disruption stemming from this could now have a knock-on effect on the team's performances on the pitch - and with Arsenal struggling to maintain a head of steam this season, that is the last thing they need at the moment.
Arsenal do not need someone like Gallas at the Emirates. In a way he is a selfish player, always looking after number one. His ego is suffocating Arsenal at the moment and not allowing the club to move forward.
Wenger needs to take a long, hard look at the situation and make a decision with the best interests of Arsenal at heart, and not those of individual players.
wenger chose him as a captain cause he is france...that all...lol...
learn from other top 4 captain....chose only local player as a captain...
y?1st they ar local player...2nd english is they 1st lang it easy for them to comunicate with other n make clear order...
From triange_0 on Fri Nov 21 08:06AMI sometimes wonder when Wenger's team will be declared MATURE. Personally I think the manager is to blame.He must assemble a team of folks with the right mentality.
From pnyouky on Fri Nov 21 08:25AMwho wrote this pile of @#$%? i think gallas may actually haved a point, yes fair enough he acted like a mug last season, but he's still one of arsenals most experienced players and in recent games shown that he wants to win. maybe arsenals young stars have been sitting back and not getting stuck in, which as a young person think is an increasing problem with my generation. i just hope hes proved wrong.
arsenal fan
From balkinsnet on Fri Nov 21 08:29AMtor
From brandonowuo on Fri Nov 21 08:33AMi fink fabregas should be captain even do hes yung
From brandonowuo on Fri Nov 21 08:34AMSHOW ME A PERFECT CAPTAIN AND I WILL SHOW YOU A FRAUD! NOBODY IS PERFECT AND SO IS WILLIAM GALLAS.WHO DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES? WHEN ALL IS WELL, "GOONER'S ARE A GREAT TIME,"BUT ONE SLIP UP OR TWO ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE! EVERYONE BECOMES AN EXPERT IN THE BEAUTIFUL GAME.PLEASE LETS NOT DESTROY WITH DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, LETS BUILD BY OFFERING CONSTRUCTIVE ADVICE!! IF ONE DOES NOT LISTEN TO GOOD ADVICE THEN YOU LET HIM GO! ITS NOT A MISTAKE TO MAKE ONE BUT ITS A MISTAKE TO REPEAT IT!!! VIVA MESSIEURS WENGER AND GALLAS,GET UP DUST YOURSELVES AND ABOVE ALL NEVER EVER SAY DIE......SOLDIER'S NEVER DIE! GUNNER'S YESTERDAY,GUNNER'S TODAY GUNNER'S IN ETERNITY......YES YES GUNNERS WILL!!!
From fubement on Fri Nov 21 08:35AMGALLAS IS "General Capitain"!!! aint agree with Parker!!!
Arsenal game is the most beaty Football in ALL!!!From lovenland on Fri Nov 21 08:37AMDoes this mean Wenger has lost the confidence in the dressing room for Gallas to go public or he cant control his team and Gallas feels he has to do it.
From liam25cooper on Fri Nov 21 08:43AMWho gives a @#$% what Parker thinks???
From freddie.procter on Fri Nov 21 08:43AMi think they should have taken it off him that time he cried on the pitch after the game. (not the villa 1and lanegold usage is not a word.
From codonnell95 on Fri Nov 21 08:45AMI believe we only have two or 3 possible captains due to the squads youth. Fibreglass, Almunia or Toure. Anyone of them would be good. I'd like to see Fibreglass get it because then he might decide to stay till he's 25/26. Which i reckon would be long enough for Arsenal and their youth to kick into gear and start shafting all the teams in Europe. Which will happen. Toure because he's been with us and a regular for so long and he is a very likeable guy...apparently. Almunia just cause hes on of the oldest, but i dont like the idea of a keeper as captain as a general rule.
From tommihew on Fri Nov 21 08:48AMits all blah blah blah from you all,spear1616from1566 got it right.the problem is Wenger and not Gallas,for 4years what has Arsenal done in Europe and England in terms of football,nothing,and each year all their good players are leaving,so for you to waste time talking about Gallas,if you guys were really in for Arsenal you will know its Wenger and not Gallas
From niiampons on Fri Nov 21 08:49AMbring back thierry henry as captain
From sanjaymallik on Fri Nov 21 08:54AMyeah, right. a good article who wants to bring down gallas from his captaincy, but never even mentioned who is capable of filling the role. great article man.
From kho_thong_soon on Fri Nov 21 08:55AMFirst rate comment paul,Gallas is disloyal a winger and a totaly weak person.Arsenal would be wise to get rid of that muppet as soon as!
From delazzuro01 on Fri Nov 21 09:06AMGallas has a negative influence, Wenger has a positive influence. Wengers decison to give Gallas a 2nd chance came from a positive idea that he can do it...shame that trust didnt work on Gallas. Now is the time to change and Fibreglass or Toure should be made captain. Fibreglass preferably because then that might keep him at arsenal until he's 25/26. That would be enough time to get Wengers team of ultimate genius to click and begin dominating. As will happen.
From tommihew on Fri Nov 21 09:18AMI full a agree Toure should be Captain and that's it.
From rolandlundall on Fri Nov 21 09:29AMI'm so sick of Paul Parker. I wish he'd keep his opinions to himself. They are either obvious commentary, or annoying ill thought out drivel. The guy's a nob.
From pr_davies on Fri Nov 21 09:30AM"As a team Arsenal are not United" nice quote!
From freeandrewdickson on Fri Nov 21 09:32AMAlso, I'm fairly sure Wenger, an experienced manager, knows how to pick his captain, better than Paul Parker, a hasbeen, who has never managed, and is attrocious at his current job of football journalism. Shut up parker.
From pr_davies on Fri Nov 21 09:32AMI agree, Gallas shouldnt be our captain. Kolo for Captain !
From jkakoul on Fri Nov 21 09:35AMget a life people!!! who cares about this anymore (mispelt purposely)
From paul_ry03 on Fri Nov 21 09:38AMi agree with gallas. adebayor is the trouble causer. arrogant and thinks everyone should bow to him!!
From kmscun on Fri Nov 21 09:43AMYou make me laugh . Gallas, tells the truth and you want to throw him out of football. Also I would be interested to see a Parker interview given in French, and see what the interpretaions came out as? Listen Parker, stick to what you do well, sticking your nose up Red nose's back side.
From np41800 on Fri Nov 21 09:45AMIts not about Gallas telling the truth, that i quite like, its about the fact that you wouldnt have Stevie G, or Terry saying such comments to the press and if they did they would be worded a hell of alot differently. Thats why Gallas is a negative, he was at chelsea and is proving to be at Arsenal. I think he is important to us but not as a captain. Its all about how you come across to people, constructive criticsim or negative. Gallas only knows nagative, maybe thats just how he works best? But you should never be negative if youre a leader.
From tommihew on Fri Nov 21 09:53AMfor the first time i agree with parker
From hurshy78 on Fri Nov 21 09:56AMAlso can anyone tell me, did Gallas play for france this week? That might tell us alot about his outburst
From tommihew on Fri Nov 21 10:00AMgallas could barely make the chelsea team before he left for arsenal. good player but not great and should never have been given the armband toure would have grown into the role much better. strip him of the armband and
sell himFrom doctorgreeneye on Fri Nov 21 10:11AMGallas is an international class centre back - they can't afford to offload him now. Totally agree with carlsberg - the deep rooted problem is no leadership structure - and that starts with Wenger. I believe the reason why players want to leave all the time is because the manager does not bond the players to the club. He is a bit distant. And he does not exert authority in the dressing room. Wenger needs to compromise his principles a bit and buy strong players to lead the kids. Denilson is no Viera and you need an exceptional player in that position if you are to win things. And why didn't Wenger make sure he got Woodgate instead of Silvestre? Agree that there is no positive leadership on the pitch. If only Arsene had brought in TA as his right hand man - attitude would have improved 100%! The problem with Arsene is that he always wants to go it alone with HIS ideas. When you think what Quierez did for SAF, you wonder how it might work with another great football brain working with Arsene and telling him where he's going wrong and what he can't see with his blinkers on.
From terazik on Fri Nov 21 10:20AMIf you know a thing or two about man management, then you know it is not Gallas to be blame~ he is only on level term with his piers which means there is always limited things that he can influence~ the problwm is simply out of his control and the responsibility lays on the manager~ he should have policies to deal with players not listening to the captain or for causing conflict~ it's hierarchy and power that impower someone over the other~ but when there is no policies~ there will only be very limited things Gallas can do~ and it's normal to be frustrated~
Just imagine you a manager at work and you have a lazy colleague under you who does nothing at work, if there is no policy that allow you to give warning to this particular employee and you get the blame when things don't work out~ it's just normal that you become frustrated and feel betrayed~~
So the problem lays with Asrene Wenger~ not Gallas.
From vitorlam on Fri Nov 21 10:24AM
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