Gallas launches Arsenal outburst

[Karl]

Gallas launches Arsenal outburst



Gallas says Arsenal's dressing room is becoming increasingly fractious


Arsenal captain William Gallas has criticised his team-mates and called into question their courage to challenge for the Premier League title.

"We are not brave enough in battle. I think we need to be soldiers. To be champions, you have to play big matches every weekend and fight," said Gallas.

Gallas, 31, also accused an unnamed player of disrupting team morale.

Arsenal have yet to comment on Gallas's extraordinary outburst but his position as skipper will again be scrutinised.

"We would think that by now Arsene Wenger would know the kind of person he wants as captain," former England boss Graham Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"And if it isn't working for him, make those changes. He knows his players better than any of us. He knows what he is looking for as a leader as a captain.

"If he feels that Gallas isn't doing that then I think he is wrong if he continues with him."

Saturday's 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa made it four losses in total this term for Arsenal, leaving them nine points adrift of Chelsea and Liverpool.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Gallas added: "We are coming up against teams who are not scared to play football against us, who are not scared to take us on at our place, and this is becoming dangerous for Arsenal.

"We have to be warriors. That is how the team will forge their character and experience."

Frenchman Gallas has come under severe personal scrutiny as Arsenal skipper, most recently receiving criticism after being photographed leaving a nightclub with a cigarette in his mouth.

And he was also barracked following a show of petulance at the end of his side's 2-2 draw with Birmingham City last season - and he has admitted friction is creeping into the Arsenal camp.

"There was a problem at half-time of the 4-4 draw with Tottenham," he said. "The only thing that I could say at half-time was 'guys, we resolve these problems after the match, not at halftime'."

Gallas revealed that on another occasion some Arsenal players had been insulted by their own team-mate.

"When as captain some players come up to you and talk to you about a player... complaining about him... and then during the match you speak to this player and the player in question insults us, there comes a time where we can no longer comprehend how this can happen," he said.

606: DEBATE

Is this a wind-up or not? Can't believe he'd discuss such things in public...

GalacticGarfield

Gallas would not reveal the player's name, although he said the incident occurred during an attacking phase of play, saying: "I am trying to defend myself a bit without giving names. Otherwise I'm taking it all (the blame). I'm 31, the player is six years younger than me."

There are three players currently playing in the Arsenal squad aged 25 - Robin van Persie, Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel Eboue.

In addition, in his autobiography - published on Friday - Gallas revealed that the France team has also suffered from in-house disputes in recent times, adding he argued with a national midfielder identified only as "S".
Still, the centre-half believes Arsenal can still challenge for honours this season, though he added another season without silverware "would be a kind of failure".

"I have to win something this year. I have to win something, Arsenal has to win something. It's four or five years since Arsenal won anything - 2004 (the league title). That's nearly five years, and that's not good.

"(Big contracts) make the difference, perhaps. You can rest on your laurels, that's for sure."

Arsenal travel to Manchester City in the league on Saturday hoping to avoid their first back-to-back defeats in 58 Premier League encounters.

[Karl]

Well...did they change attitude and fight today? Did they play well...now the 'big bad boy' was out?

I did not see the match?
Help from someone who saw it...please?!

[Karl]

William Gallas' Arsenal future hangs by thread...

William Gallas' Arsenal future hangs by thread after outburst against team-mates

William Gallas was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy on Friday night as Arsene Wenger moved swiftly to punish him for his scathing attack on his young team-mates.



By Rory Smith
Last Updated: 2:33PM GMT 22 Nov 2008






Grounded: William Gallas has incurred the wrath of Arsene Wenger Photo: PA



Oh captain my captain: William Gallas could be off-loaded as soon as January for his outbursts against his Arsenal team-mates Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The captain's armband will be worn by Gael Clichy for Saturday afternoon's clash with Manchester City, with a long-term replacement for Gallas, who has not travelled with the squad to the North West, not yet selected.

Clichy, goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and Cesc Fabregas are likely to be the prime candidates to take charge following the end of the France international's troubled reign as captain.

It is believed that Wenger took the decision after speaking to Gallas upon his return from international duty, just hours after the player's outburst became public.

The explosive content of Gallas' rant, in an interview to mark the launch of his autobiography in France yesterday, left Wenger with little choice but to demote him.

The defender claimed the Arsenal dressing room was deeply divided and said he had been called upon to defuse arguments revolving around one player – believed to be Robin van Persie – both on and off the pitch.
Relieved of his rank and dropped from the squad, Gallas could also face a fine as a further penalty for violating the sanctity of the Emirates dressing room.

And as if that were not enough for one week, it was revealed yesterday that his autobiography also contains a broadside towards his club and country colleague, Samir Nasri.

Discussing tension within the French camp at Euro 2008, Gallas details how the 20-year-old was "insolent" for sitting in Thierry Henry's seat on the team coach and lacked respect for the more senior players in training sessions.

He reveals he had a "small skirmish" with the youngster for sitting in Henry's spot, before the midfielder confessed his mistake.

But he goes on to reveal that Nasri refused to listen to him in training games, writing: "I was 20 once, but I would never have allowed myself to speak in that way to a player who was older than me.

"The young players at the Euros seemed very cheeky, very sure of themselves.
"They think they know everything, but they know nothing at all. Faced with their contempt, I raised my voice, and one replied, 'Lower the tone, don't speak so loud'.
"'How are you speaking to me?' I asked. 'Who do you take yourself for? You're only 20. I'm not your friend'.
"He replied, 'Me neither, I'm not your friend'."

Although he does not specifically name Nasri, it is widely known in France that the bus incident relates to the former Marseille player, while Gallas himself notes the problems in training were with the same man.

Such an addendum to the previous day's furore will not have helped Gallas' case to continue as captain.

The defender, whose captaincy will be chiefly remembered for his tantrum as a late penalty cost Arsenal two points at Birmingham last season, has enjoyed something of a roller-coaster career since arriving in this country.

And this latest episode could hasten his departure, with a move back to France in the offing as early as January.

Gallas has made no secret of the fact that he plans to see out his playing days in more familiar surroundings, saying: "It's true that I'd like to return to France for one or perhaps two seasons to finish my career. But if I go it won't be to just anywhere. I'd go to a big club or nowhere at all. The choices look simple to me – it would be Marseille, Lyon, PSG or, let's not forget, Bordeaux.

"PSG are a massive club and known everywhere. I've stayed in contact with Claude Makelele and he's told me that he's pretty happy to be in Paris. He feels he's getting the respect he deserves from everyone.

"As far as Bordeaux is concerned I really like the club and the region. I was a Jean Tigana fan when he played for them and their coach right now is Laurent Blanc who I've never played for but who knows football off by heart and must be a good guy to lead you."

Gallas v Nasri
Friday: Gallas attacked a French colleague, believed to be Samir Nasri, for being one of the “insolent” youngsters who are “cheeky and very sure of themselves. They think they know everything but they know nothing”.

He revealed a training-ground bust-up with Nasri, now a team-mate at Arsenal.

Gallas: “Are you speaking to me? Who do you take yourself for? You’re only 20 ... I am not your friend.”

Nasri: “I’m not your friend either.”

“Straight away, I see red,” Gallas adds.

Gallas v Van Persie
On Wednesday, Gallas revealed problems in the Arsenal dressing room. He complained about his team-mates’ lack of “bottle” and seemed to pick on Robin van Persie, revealing: “As cptaain, some players come up to you and talk to you about a player, complaining about him, and then during the match you speak to this player and the player in question insults us. I’m 31, the player is six years younger than me.”

[HL]

I saw the game.

ARSENAL is an ordinary tream without it's core experience players. This includes Gallas.

The camera panned on the arsenal bench...the oldest player sitting was 23.....................

Not that the team played bad--but to be top 3 or 4 in the EPL you need seasoned experienced players like the team captain!!

BTW: I hope Arsenal boss knows he cannot travel to Chelsea next week Sunday --and expect a win without Gallas .

[Karl]

I saw the game.

ARSENAL is an ordinary tream without it's core experience players. This includes Gallas.

The camera panned on the arsenal bench...the oldest player sitting was 23.....................

Not that the team played bad--but to be top 3 or 4 in the EPL you need seasoned experienced players like the team captain!!

BTW: I hope Arsenal boss knows he cannot travel to Chelsea next week Sunday --and expect a win without Gallas .

Well I see Wenger is reconsidering his "throwing of Gallas under the bus". It is good for him to step up and 'take water' with his "no anwers" on question about Gallas except to say, that Gallas has a future at the club and has an important part to play in the drive for the Championship!

"Why should we make a statement, we can have a captain and we can change the captain without having a political issue," Wenger said. "I will not speak about William Gallas in a post-match interview. He is a player who did not play today, so what can he do? Nothing."

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia was the captain on his 100th Arsenal appearance, as goals from Stephen Ireland on the stroke of halftime, Robinho and Daniel Sturridge compounded the turmoil.

City went ahead in first-half stoppage time when a mistake by Gael Clichy gifted Ireland a goal after the City midfielder had burst into the area. Robinho made it 2-0 early in the second half after a splendid pass from Shaun Wright-Phillips and Sturridge won and converted a late penalty to condemn Arsenal to a second consecutive defeat without scoring a goal.

In assessing the loss, Wenger seemed to back Gallas' claim that the young players are lacking in experience.

"City played a lot on the counterattack and we played into their hands," Wenger said. "We lacked maturity and the second goal illustrated that. The third goal was a very soft penalty. We gave absolutely everything - we are not in the blaming culture. We stand up for our responsibilities."

Wenger did not blame Gallas' revelations for the defeat in Manchester.

Copyright © 2001-2008 Shanghai Daily Publishing House

It is interesting to see that Wenger has never made a statement saying Gallas is not his captain. I am thinking Wenger will not speak expect when next his GUNNERS take the field. Whether or not he has stripped Gallas of the captaincy will be known if and when Gallas next plays.

If Gallas returns it will be interesting to see the effort Gallas and secondly the other players give as they play together.