Gallas will improve now that Fabregas is captain By Myles Palmer
Arsene Wenger had to be realistic in this situation.
He had to bring Gallas back.
And he had to make Cesc Fabregas his captain. He was the only candidate for the job.
William Gallas, a world class defender, is an intense introvert who cares too much, as I've always said. And when Gallas became skipper, the pressure became too much for his particular temperament. That was why he sometimes behaved as he did.
As Wenger explained on Monday, "He took all the team's problems to heart."
Gallas has issues few people know about but he's still the best defender at the club. And by far the most experienced. I feel sorry for him. He has been restored because the team needs him against Dynamo Kiev and Chelsea .
Intelligent, loyal and honest, Cesc Fabregas is Arsenal's best player.
As a character, Fabregas is the finest footballer in the Premier League. He has achieved a helluva lot at 21 and won Euro 2008 with Spain on June 29. Having played in Spain's balanced team, which has electric strikers who are far superior to Ade and RVP, and having played with Senna, a model anchorman, and Casillas, a superb goalkeeper, he knows what is missing at Arsenal.
Will Fabregas wait around while a team is built round him? Yes. Should he wait around while Wenger grows a team around him? No. Because he only has one career. Fabregas should not have to babysit Denilson when he is only 21 himself. If the manager keeps buying kids, Cesc should go elsewhere and play in a team of men, a team that knows how to defend, how to win trophies.
But I hope he stays for another two or three years. While I could never imagine Arsenal winning a trophy with Thierry Henry as captain, I CAN imagine Fabregas lifting one up.
Recently, Arsenal has let Fabregas down by making him play in a weak team.
They now need him far more than he needs them. But he is sincerely grateful for the opportunities Wenger has given him. And he would like to repay the club by helping them to win trophies. Nobody doubts that. Fabregas has never let Arsenal down. He's contributed more to AFC than anybody of his age has ever done, so we all wish him well.
It's up to Arsene Wenger to create a team worthy of his new captain.
Don't say : he's only one player. He's far more than that. Just as you'll never see anybody as gifted as Bergkamp again, and you'll never again see any halfback as majestic as Patrick Vieira in his pomp, neither will you see another teenage midfielder who can read the game and pass the ball as astutely as Cesc Fabregas.
Good luck, Cesc. We believe in your ability and character. We hope you stay at Arsenal. But most of us think you should be playing in a team of men.
Nov 24, 2008
