The big news for me on the Arsenal front was the rumor running rampant that 'King' Kolo Touré submitted a transfer request that was subsequently denied by our (yes, OUR) chairman, Peter Hill-Wood (PHW). The story goes that Kolo can't stand William Gallas and that Gallas can't stand him. Fair enough. I don't expect them to hang out and smoke cigarrettes together behind the equipment shed at the training facility, so the fact that they openly despise one another doesn't bother me at all either. They can still work together towards a common goal, which should be winning matches in the service of Arsenal Football Club. However, the confusing bit holds that Gallas has been bitching to Arsene Wenger (our manager) and apparently has AW's ear. Now, THIS I don't believe. Or at least I don't WANT to believe it. It makes little sense, especially after AW recently stripped Gallas of the captainship (captainship? is that a word?). My club is turning into a soap opera... and a poor one at that.
In regards to Gallas, I have mixed feelings towards him... always have, in fact. I was chuffed when he joined in exchange for Ashley Cole and rallied behind him even as the scurrilous accusations from Chelsea contended that he (Gallas) had threatened to score own goals until he was transferred. It made Chelsea, as a club, go down even FURTHER in my estimation and as such, made me welcome Gallas defiantly. Oh sure, he went into a strop at Birmingham and his leadership qualities were dodgy at best, however, he DID have some fine moments and scored some major goals against the likes of Liverpool and Man U. Having said that, I don't think he should EVER have been made captain and said so at the time. The armband should have been handed to Gilberto after Thierry Henry's departure and I've been adamant about that.
In viewing the wider picture and not going into hysterics week in and week out, I have to admit that Gallas has taken more than his share of the blame for the club's misfortunes. He's become a convenient scapegoat in my opinion. Should he move on in the January transfer window though? That's probably the most important aspect of it all at this point in time, and I think that yes, he should.
It's also been reported that Wenger has been offered upwards of 25 million Euro (I can't find the effing symbol for that currency!) to manage that scummy club, Real Madrid. I don't see any sense in taking that post. I doubt he'll have the sort of clout that he wields, and deserves, at Arsenal, and they'll probably sack him after a year like they do with everyone they hire. It would be unthinkable for me to have to deal with him moving over to that particular club. Disappointing would only scratch the surface.
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