William Gallas

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Arsene Wenger applauds William Gallas' 'amazing' response as Arsenal beat Chelsea

Arsene Wenger says William Gallas was "absolutely amazing" against Chelsea following turbulent week.

Gallas Controversies in Quotes Pt 2

William Gallas: Quotes from him, those that know him such as fellow players and managers, extracts from his recently released autobiography and comments he had made to French journalists with whom he possibly felt more at ease with. A very talented footballer and yet a very complex, troubled and sensitive man. Part 2:

Gallas Controversies in Quotes Pt 1

William Gallas: Quotes from him, those that know him such as fellow players and managers, extracts from his recently released autobiography and comments he had made to French journalists with whom he possibly felt more at ease with. A very talented footballer and yet a very complex, troubled and sensitive man. Part 1:

William Gallas speaks from the heart says Petr Cech

Chelsea goalkeeper has faith in Gallas' honesty after former teammate sparked row with public criticism of Arsenal.

Premier League: William Gallas set for recall but will not apologise

Arsène Wenger has suggested he could recall William Gallas to his starting Arsenal line-up for tomorrow night's Champions League fixture with Dynamo Kiev at the Emirates Stadium.The manager stripped Gallas of the captaincy and left him out of the team that lost 3-0 to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, a result that gravely undermined the club's title hopes, after his fiery criticism of his young team-mates. Gallas appears to have a problem with the young generation of stars and he does not want to make personal apologies to the players that he offended, particularly to Robin van Persie. But he worked out with the squad at Arsenal's London Colney training ground yesterday and he regrets the unsettling nature of his comments. If he does return against Dynamo, for a tie in which victory would ensure Arsenal's progress to the knock-out stages of the competition, it is unlikely he would do so as captain. Wenger has Cesc Fábregas available again after his suspension at City - the Spaniard is seen as a captain in waiting - while the goalkeeper Manuel Almunia wore the armband at Eastlands. "Cesc Fábregas will be available for Tuesday and maybe Gallas," said Wenger. "The most important thing for us is to keep strong, united, focused and not panic. We haven't lost our football in three days so therefore, let's go and win our next game. That is difficult, I don't deny that, but there's no need to be desperate as well."Despite Wenger's disappointment at Gallas' comments last week, in which he accused team-mates of lacking heart and pointedly criticised one particular player, whom he did not name but is known to be Van Persie, the manager has claimed Gallas still has a place there."Of course he has a future at the club," said Wenger. "It just doesn't help to talk about it. Nothing disturbed us before the [City] game. I believe it was a flattering victory for them, and we have had worse weeks than this."Gallas is understood to have addressed the squad just prior to their departure for Manchester last Friday, by which time he was aware of his omission and that his future as the team's captain was in serious doubt. His pride, though, could work against any notion of reconciliation. Gallas, at 31, is a member of the older guard and he is close to the former Arsenal players Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Petit. Henry did not get along with Van Persie and Gallas could not bear to grovel in front of the young Dutchman and lose face in front of his friends. There remains the possibility of an escape route back to France should Gallas be unable to regain favour at the Emirates. Paris St-Germain, with whom he has long been linked, are believed to be willing to sign the player on a six-month loan deal once the transfer window opens in January and would be prepared to fund a large proportion of his £90,000-a-week wages.The French club, coached by the former Rangers manager Paul le Guen, have revived this season after last year's toils and beat Lyon, the league leaders and reigning champions, on Saturday night. Their president, Charles Villeneuve, is a close friend of Wenger's and signalled the ambition of the club over the summer with the signing of Ludovic Giuly and Claude Makelele from Roma and Chelsea respectively, and Gallas is on warm terms with Makelele. PSG also tried to sign the veteran France defender Lilian Thuram from Barcelona, only for the player to fail a medical, and they have risen to fifth place in the league this term.Gallas was born in Asnières-sur-Seine in the suburbs of the French capital and, while he is a former Marseille player, he has made no secret of his desire to play for his hometown club. PSG, propelled by the goals of Guillaume Hoarau, have the feel of a club on the rise which may now prove appealing to the 31-year-old if he cannot salvage his Arsenal career.ArsenalPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger backs William Gallas despite dropping him

Manager insists William Gallas has future at Arsenal despite stripping him of captaincy and dropping him.

William Gallas loses Arsenal captaincy following his attack on teammates

Attack on teammates costs William Gallas the club captaincy as he is left at home for Arsenal's trip to Man City.

Arsenal fans call for William Gallas exit

Arsenal fans call for William Gallas to be sold after the captain lays into hos club and international teammates.

Gallas launches Arsenal outburst

Arsenal captain William Gallas attacks his team-mates and questions their courage to challenge for the league title.

Football: William Gallas lets rip at Arsenal team-mates for lacking courage

The Arsenal captain, William Gallas, has launched an astonishing attack on his young team-mates, claiming they are "not brave enough in battle" and revealing he had been forced to step in to prevent players arguing during games. The France international also suggested one of his more experienced colleagues, who he refused to name, had proved a disruptive influence at the club on and off the pitch.The outburst is particularly untimely with Arsenal, nine points off the top of the Premier League having lost their fourth game of the season against Aston Villa last Saturday, already rocked by confirmation that Theo Walcott will be absent for at least three months after the winger underwent surgery on his right shoulder yesterday. Gallas suggested he had grown tired of the drip-feed of criticism of his captaincy, initially sparked by his bizarre and petulant sit-down protest at Birmingham City in February, though his words will have done little for team harmony at the Emirates Stadium."We have to understand that, to be champions, you have to play big matches every weekend and fight," said Gallas. "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 are not brave enough in battle. I think we need to be soldiers. We have to be warriors. There are teams who can do it well against us and we have to be able to face up to these attacks. That is how they [Arsenal's young players] will forge their character and how they will get experience. Even though they've played a certain number of matches, they're still young and still learning."The 31-year-old, whose own form has been patchy not least against Villa, insisted he was speaking out because "there are things that can't be said and can't be tolerated". He revealed the team had fractured at half-time in the recent Premier League game with Tottenham Hotspur, with the score 1-1 at the time, though his most stinging criticism was levelled at an unnamed team-mate whose attitude had shocked him. "There was a problem at half-time [against Spurs]," he said. "The only thing that I could say at half-time was: 'Guys, we resolve these problems after the match, not at half-time.'"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. I'm trying to defend myself a bit without giving names. Otherwise I'm taking it all [the blame]. It's very frustrating, but I'm 31 and the player concerned is six years younger than me." The players who fall into that bracket at the club include Robin van Persie, the Dutch forward and something of a free spirit as an attacking force, as well as Emmanuel Eboué and Bacary Sagna. Yet Gallas' suggestion that the tete-a-tete had occurred during an attacking phase of play may be revealing.Arsène Wenger was made aware of the comments yesterday and, although Gallas is unlikely to be stripped of the captaincy, the Arsenal manager has not been impressed with the outburst after a difficult few days. Wenger's decision to retain his compatriot as skipper, rather than pass the armband to Cesc Fàbregas, came as something of a surprise over the summer.The centre-half's outburst appears born of frustration that Arsenal, well behind Chelsea and Liverpool in the league, may endure a fourth consecutive season without a trophy. "I have to win something this year," he said. "Arsenal has to win something. Another season without a trophy would be a kind of failure."The loss of Walcott represents a blow. Wenger said he does not hold the Football Association responsible for the training injury sustained on Tuesday at the Olympic stadium, with the club considering whether or not to seek compensation, via the FA's insurers. Thankfully, the 19-year-old's career has not been threatened by this set-back."There is not concern about that," said the Arsenal manager. "Once the surgery is done and it is solid, there is no concern at all for the future of Theo Walcott. Not at all."ArsenalPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds