William Gallas: The Case of a Captain

As the 2007-08 EPL season was about to start, the news that Arsene Wenger had passed the captains armband to William Gallas hit me in more ways than one.

I had taken to admiring the stand-in captain at the time, Gilberto Silva, who was vice-captain to Thierry Henry and on Henry's departure to Barcelona, after a very unsuccessful stint as club captain, the onus fell on the gaffer to pick someone who would lead his team to a more glorifying season.

The choice of Gallas was as controversial as it came, for many reasons—such as his nationality, the crudeness of demoting Gilberto (who i think didn't do a bad job, but was too silent as a captain, sort of like a Stevie G of Liverpool),  the proposition of of making his defensive partner, who was had been around for a longer period at the club, Kolo Toure, the captain, and the fact that everyone wanted to see Fabregas stay on longer (hence the placing of the band on him, to keep him occupied).

In the end, I saw it in the most objective way possible, which is that Gallas was the biggest player at the club, the most internationally decorated, and someone who the manager could trust to do his bidden on the pitch.

Gallas was a strong man, who could rally the troops as and when due, and his ability to get the boys going with is goalscoring ability (something that has not been lacking).

A season and almost a half away and the captaincy is off Gallas. The reasons can be debated on, but I think it's down to the fact that he was especially quick to go to the press when he was attacked for his performance on the pitch and the stories of the pitch.

His infamous protest during the dying minutes of the game and after the game against Birmingham come quickly to mind, on how not to show emotions, when you are the leader of a falling pack.

He had in the past had goes at Theo Walcott, Fabregas, and of recent the indications pointing to a 25-year-old member of the Arsenal team (likely van Persie) and a 20-year-old member of the French National team (likely Nasri) as being rude to older players in such a manner that would not help but throw him out onto the streets.

This, put together with the very recent report of his smoking escapades, would only serve as the wisest move for the team in general.

He simply should have done what a leader should do, be diplomatic and manage problems internally, and as such not undermine the presence of his managers.

I have to point that even when he rants about the performance of the team, it would not take rocket-science to see that his performances on the pitch on very many occasions were so terrible that, if not for the fact he was captain, should not be a regular starter for the team.

That said, I must also point to his heroic performances against Wigan, Manchester United, Bolton, and Chelsea last season—to mention a few of his great leader moments.

In the end i think he had to be relieved of the band and in perspective, his place on the team, which I feared would be the outcome of his demotion.