Gallas - Failure not on me

Gunners skipper refuses to accept blame for season collapse

Last updated: 26th April 2008

Birmingham v Arsenal William Gallas woe

Gallas: Not to blame

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Arsenal captain William Gallas insists he is not to blame for his team's failure to win any silverware this term.

The Gunners were in prime position to win the league title earlier this year, but a last-minute penalty for Birmingham in February allowed Alex McLeish's men to claim a 2-2 draw against The Gunners and Gallas reacted furiously, waiting in the opposition half as James McFadden found the net.

That result led to a sequence of four draws and one defeat in the league and all but ended Arsenal's hopes of becoming champions, and they were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Liverpool shortly afterwards.

But while some have suggested that the team lost faith in their captain after his actions at Birmingham, Gallas is adamant that he is not responsible for their loss of form.

"They can say what they want - they will not bring me down, I'm stronger than that," he told the Daily Mail.

"It makes me mad because I don't think (the Birmingham incident) was our problem.

"How can you summarise our season with that thing at Birmingham? That is not why we stopped winning matches."