Arsenal captain William Gallas confessed to dressing room problems this week, saying one team member had been causing trouble by criticising his mates.
This character is five years younger than 31-year old Gallas (according to the skipper) and seems to be a forward. Arsenal’s starting forwards are Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin Van Persie, neither of whom are 26. So it can’t be one of them, can it?
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger must be tearing his still lush head of hair out.
He’s always prided himself on running a tight ship, preferring to bring youngsters through the team because that way, he says, they’re more committed and ‘fight for the team’, as opposed to among themselves.
Gallas, who came from Chelsea after a spectacular falling out there, was a bizarre choice as captain. Sometimes he goes around encouraging the others, on another occasion (at the end of a 2-2 draw against Birmingham last season) he sat on the pitch and sulked.
In this instance he’s sparked a “who’s the troublemaker?” media fest.
Wenger is famed for his ability to unload players into the transfer market when he feels they’re past their best, Thierry Henry to Barcelona being a prime example.
He did the same with former skipper Patrick Viera but, although Viera was arguably not the player he had been, he’s certainly been missed as captain and also as the holding midfield enforcer Arsenal still desperately need.
Even a sub-par Viera would have saved Wenger a whole handful of problems.