Gale blast for Gallas

Gallas should keep Arsenal's problems private

Last updated: 16th December 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Gale blast for Gallas

Gallas: In hot water with Wenger

If your captain is starting to name people then you really have got problems. OK, little arguments go on in the changing room and people get to hear about it, but not from the skipper.

Tony Gale on William Gallas
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Tony Gale has hit out at William Gallas for going public about Arsenal's problems.

The Gunners skipper has openly accused his team-mates of lacking bravery and spilt the beans on a dressing-room bust-up in the recent 4-4 draw with Tottenham.

Gallas also claims that as captain he has received complaints about one player in particular and warned Arsene Wenger's side that they are danger of wrecking their own title hopes.

But Gale believes the Frenchman has got it all wrong in going public and has done more harm than good.

"What goes on in the changing room stays in the changing room," he told Sky Sports News.

"If your captain is starting to name people then you really have got problems. OK, little arguments go on in the changing room and people get to hear about it, but not from the skipper.

"It's not being a skipper at all. It's all too showy for me from William Gallas; group huddles on the pitch? Do it in the changing rooms.

"Yes, he's upset but some of the boys in the changing room will be more upset. Don't you think Arsene Wenger is upset?

"But there's a place to show that. It's as if nothing's his fault, it's everyone else's fault. He's blaming the inexperience of youngsters, saying we haven't got this, we haven't got that - just get on with your own game!"

Nightmare

Gale also believes this latest outburst proves that Gallas is the wrong man to captain the Gunners.

The former Fulham and West Ham man, who won the Premier League title with Blackburn in 1995, did not agree with the appointment at the time and says Wenger made it in attempt to stop this sort of outburst.

"I think it's a bit of a nightmare to be honest," he said. "It was a poor appointment in the first place and it's proving even poorer now.

"I think he appointed him in the first place to get him back on-side. I think he though the responsibility might have brought him back on-side and brought him into line.

"It worked initially, but it's gone on and on and it's just not an Arsenal thing to be in the papers like that."

Wenger has yet to comment on Gallas' outburst but he is likely to be furious with his skipper who made his comments while on international duty in France.

Not only is Wenger likely to be enraged that the sanctuary of the dressing-room has been violated by his skipper, he is bound to reflect darkly on the motivation of Gallas' comments given that the 31-year-old's new autobiography is being published in France on Friday.

What do you think of Gallas' comments? Should he be stripped of the Arsenal captaincy? Let us know using the form below.

Comments (67)

Glenn Seymour says...

Gallas has proved more than once that he is not suitable for the role. What suprised me though was that Kolo Toure was overlooked in the first place. He has has led the back line for years yet Gallas was given the armband after only one or two seasons at the club.

Posted 15:32 21st November 2008

Warren Francey says...

Come on, "Gallas a great captain"? If he were he would keep his mouth shut. You can be a good captain on the pitch but a bad captain and influence off it! By going to the media he's disrespected Arsene Wenger and his fellow players. He needs to learn to keep his mouth otherwise he's going to lose the respect of his team mates and manager. I'm at a loss as to who I think should be captain but personally Wnger needs to bring somebody in who has the passion and the leadership skills, preferably a midfielder!

Posted 15:29 21st November 2008

Marco A (Arsenal fan) says...

Discipline needs to be restored at Arsenal. By airing internal issues to the press, Gallas committed an offence to the players he is supposed to lead and disappointed his manager. Let the players decide if they want Gallas back as Captain. If Gallas has lost the dressing room then he has to go. Wenger needs to assertively show the prima-donnas at Arsenal (Gallas is only one of them) that no players is bigger than the club. If Gallas thinks he can threaten to leave Arsenal if he loses the Captaincy then good riddance to him. There are a lot of players out there that would love to have his job. Wenger should take a cue from Fergie in how to deal with prima-donnas. He sure took care of Ronaldo this summer.

Posted 15:13 21st November 2008

Shane Mchugh (Arsenal fan) says...

Gallas is not a good captain. I think Wenger is one of the best in the business but his choice of Gallas to skipper this young side was wrong. Cesc is a very mature head on young shoulders and he would be my choice. you never hear about him acting out off the pitch and for a guy so young that shows how strong a character he is. He leads by example and has a real will to win.

Posted 15:11 21st November 2008

Sue H (Arsenal fan) says...

Whats it to do with Tony Gale or anyone else outside The Arsenal? I'm fed up with people outside of the club putting their fourpenneth in - mind your own business!

Posted 14:54 21st November 2008

Jennifer H (Arsenal fan) says...

Personally I think it's downright disgusting what he's said. Normally I'd defend any of our players but this moron has gone too far now. He should be sacked or benched for the entire season and shoved on the transfer list asap. People like this shouldn't be allowed to play in our team let alone in the premier league. Maybe they'll send him to play in the championships for Millwall or the like. Either way Wenger must sort this out and quickly. Cese would be excellent for Captain. He shows what a team player is all about. Age is regardless it's the maturity and the way he carries himself that makes him as good as someone twice his age.

Posted 14:54 21st November 2008

Phil Igglesden (Arsenal fan) says...

Cesc for captaincy, I cant beleive this kind of behavior from Gallas, last resort deal never been an admirer fine him sack him does not fit in.

Posted 14:33 21st November 2008

Dimitar Rangelov (Manchester United fan) says...

Gallas is not very intelligent. First Birmingham now this... he was only given the captaincy since he started to whine about leaving if they dont win trophies. That idea didn't work with Henry and it's not working out this time either. His performances have been rubbish but he still blames others? Player wise at the time it seemed as if Gallas was the better end of the deal and who knows cole may have been a horrible captain too but i think it's time Gallas was removed of that captaincy. Really surprised Touré never got it due to his seniority anyway

Posted 14:25 21st November 2008

James Nightingale (Arsenal fan) says...

Gallas is a good captain, fact. if we were winning all the time we wouldn't be having this debate. The fact is everyone is looking for a scapegoat for our poor start to the season. It isnt his fault. look at when we beat united the other week, when almunia was down he went and told each player to stay focused, thats great captaincy. As for the birmingham incident, get over it guys, it was last season. how would you have reacted if they broke your mates leg and then equalised at the last minute through a penalty, thus salvaging an undeserved point. I'm sure you wouldnt be smiling. He was jus showing his passion. I think you would be more annoyed if he didnt care.

Posted 14:18 21st November 2008

Allan Lourdes (Arsenal fan) says...

Give it to Fabregas,period!!!!

Posted 14:13 21st November 2008

Leon Cullen (Manchester United fan) says...

Arsenal should just kick out Gallas, he seems to be losing it already, he seems to be saying that Arsenal is no longer the force they once were. this had put the younger ones in the team to be demoralised. certainly, Gallas has not demostrated how a captain should be like in times of crisis like how arsenal is in now.

Posted 14:11 21st November 2008

Avinash Lakhani (Manchester United fan) says...

I am not surprised at this outburst by Gallas. I always thought that he wasn't captain material at all. As a staunch man Utd fan for the last 21 years it gives me great pleasure to see the problems that Arsenal are facing and endorses my view that Wenger is not half as good a manager as Sir Alex. Control your dressing room Arsene. Over and Out.

Posted 14:06 21st November 2008

Alan Mcintyre (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

The player in question can only be one of two players in the Arsenal squad - Emanuel Eboue or Bacary Sagna, and my money is on Sagna. Gallas quoted as saying "the player in question is 6 years younger than me...I am 31". Sagna and Eboue are both 25. Who do you think he means? Anyway, as a Spurs fan, it's always lovely to see the Gooners in trouble, and nothing like a dressing room split and a bean spilling interview with the captain to cheer us up!!! Well done William Gallas, you sorry excuse for a captain. Why don't you go up the other end of the pitch, sit down and have a cry?

Posted 14:02 21st November 2008

James Shohet (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I don't understand why you are trying to put forward a case as Fabregas as captain. The boy is still young and although he has a special talent he does not look to me as a leader of men. You need a rallier in the team, someone who is going to pull no punches when you are losing to a team at half time. Fabregas doesn't seem to me this type of player

Posted 13:55 21st November 2008

Stephan Hansen (Chelsea fan) says...

When Gallas left Chelsea I always thought to claims of him wanting to score an own goal if he wasn't sold were fabricated and false. Now on the other hand, I believe theese rumours more than ever. I was left feeling sad over Gallas departure, but now I'm just happy he left. Why Wenger didn't strip him of the armband after the Birmingham-incident is beyond me. But now the situation has gone from bad to worse with Gallas going public with something that should've been left in the dressing-room. You just don't expect this to come from the captain, who's supposed to be the heart and soul of the team. Disapointed by Gallas, but over the moon that Ashley Cole is the one who's wearing the blue shirt and not Gallas,

Posted 13:49 21st November 2008

Nick Beck (Chelsea fan) says...

I remember when the Cole/Gallas deal was done, many arsenal fans thought they got the good end of the deal... Not now though! Gallas's true colours shinning through, he is nothing without a comanding centre half to guide him which is why JT and Gallas were so good, brut, ugly, passionate strength combined with speed, class and high skill levels. But captaincy is too much for him. From my point of view Cesc would do a much better job but I am quite enjoying the collapse of Arsenal!

Posted 13:19 21st November 2008

Nick Hall says...

Gallas should never have been appointed captain as Toure was and in my opinion still is the obvious choice. Wenger will know because I suspect he preaches it to his players that it is alright to make a mistake so long as you learn from it. Surely the time has long passed that Wenger himself should have learned from this most major of his mistakes. Gallas Out!!!

Posted 13:19 21st November 2008

Patrick Cannon (Arsenal fan) says...

Gallas has really done it this time. He has done ok since he came from Chelski and to be fair he does score some very important goals, but as a captain he is absloutely shocking. Wenger only gave him the armband to make him feel important and that he was part of a project (in the hope it would keep him focussed) but it just hasn't worked. I was disgusted at the way he reacted at Birmingham and actually considered making a formal complaint to the club about it - he is supposed to be representing Arsenal, including the fans. I think Wenger has no option but to strip him of the captaincy but I can't see Gallas staying if he is demoted - he would probably be even more disruptive because he thinks he's better than everyone else. Wenger isnt often wrong and I love the bloke to bits but he really has to cut his losses this time and step in.

Posted 13:12 21st November 2008

Ben Clifford (Chelsea fan) says...

When Chelsea sent Gallas to Arsenal as part of the Ashley Cole deal, everyone was saying what a great deal it was for Arsenal. Now, Ashley Cole has found a new lease of life under Scolari and is playing incredible football while Gallas is ridiculing his team mates. This was always going to happen -look how he was at Chelsea - always moaning about not playing in the position he wanted to play, then threatening to score own goals if he was not allowed to leave. Gallas is a great player if things are going his way. If they're not, he acts like a 5 year old. I'd choose Ashley Cole every day of the week.

Posted 13:12 21st November 2008

Wayne Gates (Arsenal fan) says...

Well the stories of Gallas at Chelsea refusing to play now it would seem holds more weight. Wenger has been excellent for Arsenal but his blind faith in the current set up of his team will appear not to bring further rewards. The sooner he gets a dominant defence and respected players in place, Arsenal's fortunes will change.

Posted 13:07 21st November 2008