Wenger names Gallas as captain…
August 9, 2007
Wenger goes mad and names Gallas captain
Wenger today made the shock decision of naming William Gallas as Arsenal captain, instead of the legend that is Gilberto.
The captain will be William Gallas. There will also be two vice-captains, Kolo Toure and Gilberto.
I feel centre back is always the best position to lead on the pitch and it is Gallas who has more experience at the back. But Gilberto has always been a great captain and Kolo Toure has a stature too.
Aswell I made a decision that I want all those experienced players, along with Jens Lehmann, to be involved off the pitch. Players like Jens and Gilberto can play the role of a club captain. They can have a very strong impact mentally on the team. I want them to take on that responsibility.
Well… there you have it. His reasonings are that Gilberto can’t lead the side effectively from midfield, which seems silly to me, but he’s the boss and he can do what he likes.
I do feel that Gilberto was the natural replacement for Thierry Henry as captain – and it’s sad for Gilberto not to be given the honour. He did a tremendous job leading the side last season while Gallas was busy sitting on the injury bench complaining about how Arsenal have no ambition.
What a shame, but there you go!
As Arseblog.com points out, at least The Curse Of The Captain Armband won’t affect Gilberto! (Just look at what happened to Vieira and Henry after they were made captain…)