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Slipperduke

The Camden Cad
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
4,333
Location
North London
Arsenal’s season has been thrown into jeopardy by the loss of Eduardo to a horrific injury, but that may be only the start of their problems. The loss of William Gallas to a disturbing and hysterical breakdown may be even more costly. Eduardo, as good as he was, was just a player. Gallas is supposed to be the captain, the figurehead of the football team and a leader of men. This weekend proved that he is not fit for such a responsibility.

Arsene Wenger is as wise a man as you will find in football, but it is now apparent that his decision to award the captaincy to the French defender was a hideous error of judgement. Captains do not run away when last minute penalties are awarded against their team. They do not react to goals by kicking advertising hoardings to pieces and they certainly do not burst into tears on the final whistle. Granted, everyone was upset by the terrible injury to Eduardo, but it is no excuse for this. Gallas is 30 years old, but his behaviour on Saturday indicated that his mental age is significantly lower. If your six year old son exploded like that in a park game, you’d be disappointed in him. For a professional athlete to behave so appallingly is beyond contempt.

Can you imagine John Terry bawling his eyes out like that? Absolutely not. Terry may be a serial complainer, but at least he plays like a man. Terry watched Petr Cech’s skull cave in at Reading last season, then saw his replacement Carlo Cudicini carried from the pitch on a stretcher an hour later. Did he run around screaming and booting Playstation adverts? Nope. He calmly rallied his troops, got in goal himself and helped Chelsea to hold out for a unlikely 1-0 win. Cech nearly died in brain surgery that night and, without wanting to diminish the seriousness of Eduardo’s injury, the situation at The Madjeski Stadium looked significantly bleaker than a badly broken leg. That’s the time for leadership, not hysteria. Likewise, when things are going against Liverpool, Steven Gerrard chooses to try the audacious, the impossible, anything to bring his team back into the ascendancy. It doesn’t always work, but it’s considerably more constructive than throwing a tantrum.

Worryingly for Arsenal fans, there are deep chasms appearing in their side now. With the score at 2-1, Emmanuel Adebayor had a perfect opportunity to provide an open goal for his strike partner Nicolas Bendtner, but instead of unselfishly laying the ball off, he chose to shoot and missed. Bendtner was furious and with some justification. Clearly, something is rotten in the state of their relationship. Where is their captain when he is needed? Oh, he’s over there on the sidelines, pretending to be the Incredible Hulk.

Arsenal’s players are young and they need guidance on the pitch but how can they look respectfully towards Gallas now? Men are curiously tribal creatures, always looking either for supremacy, or for an alpha male to follow. Gallas may have been designated as the leader by Wenger, but consciously or not, every man in the dressing room will now know that he is no longer worthy of the label.

Respect is everything, especially at this stage of the season. Imagine yourself on John Terry’s team, knowing that if nothing could shake him, then nothing could shake you. You’d follow him to the gates of hell. The only place Arsenal will follow Gallas to is second place in the table. Wenger must act now.
 
Arsenal’s season has been thrown into jeopardy by the loss of Eduardo to a horrific injury, but that may be only the start of their problems. The loss of William Gallas to a disturbing and hysterical breakdown may be even more costly. Eduardo, as good as he was, was just a player. Gallas is supposed to be the captain, the figurehead of the football team and a leader of men. This weekend proved that he is not fit for such a responsibility.

Arsene Wenger is as wise a man as you will find in football, but it is now apparent that his decision to award the captaincy to the French defender was a hideous error of judgement. Captains do not run away when last minute penalties are awarded against their team. They do not react to goals by kicking advertising hoardings to pieces and they certainly do not burst into tears on the final whistle. Granted, everyone was upset by the terrible injury to Eduardo, but it is no excuse for this. Gallas is 30 years old, but his behaviour on Saturday indicated that his mental age is significantly lower. If your six year old son exploded like that in a park game, you’d be disappointed in him. For a professional athlete to behave so appallingly is beyond contempt.

Can you imagine John Terry bawling his eyes out like that? Absolutely not. Terry may be a serial complainer, but at least he plays like a man. Terry watched Petr Cech’s skull cave in at Reading last season, then saw his replacement Carlo Cudicini carried from the pitch on a stretcher an hour later. Did he run around screaming and booting Playstation adverts? Nope. He calmly rallied his troops, got in goal himself and helped Chelsea to hold out for a unlikely 1-0 win. Cech nearly died in brain surgery that night and, without wanting to diminish the seriousness of Eduardo’s injury, the situation at The Madjeski Stadium looked significantly bleaker than a badly broken leg. That’s the time for leadership, not hysteria. Likewise, when things are going against Liverpool, Steven Gerrard chooses to try the audacious, the impossible, anything to bring his team back into the ascendancy. It doesn’t always work, but it’s considerably more constructive than throwing a tantrum.

Worryingly for Arsenal fans, there are deep chasms appearing in their side now. With the score at 2-1, Emmanuel Adebayor had a perfect opportunity to provide an open goal for his strike partner Nicolas Bendtner, but instead of unselfishly laying the ball off, he chose to shoot and missed. Bendtner was furious and with some justification. Clearly, something is rotten in the state of their relationship. Where is their captain when he is needed? Oh, he’s over there on the sidelines, pretending to be the Incredible Hulk.

Arsenal’s players are young and they need guidance on the pitch but how can they look respectfully towards Gallas now? Men are curiously tribal creatures, always looking either for supremacy, or for an alpha male to follow. Gallas may have been designated as the leader by Wenger, but consciously or not, every man in the dressing room will now know that he is no longer worthy of the label.

Respect is everything, especially at this stage of the season. Imagine yourself on John Terry’s team, knowing that if nothing could shake him, then nothing could shake you. You’d follow him to the gates of hell. The only place Arsenal will follow Gallas to is second place in the table. Wenger must act now.

Virtually the same as Steve Howard's column in the Sun today. Is Slipper Steve Howard?
 
Arsenal’s season has been thrown into jeopardy by the loss of Eduardo to a horrific injury, but that may be only the start of their problems. The loss of William Gallas to a disturbing and hysterical breakdown may be even more costly. Eduardo, as good as he was, was just a player. Gallas is supposed to be the captain, the figurehead of the football team and a leader of men. This weekend proved that he is not fit for such a responsibility.

Arsene Wenger is as wise a man as you will find in football, but it is now apparent that his decision to award the captaincy to the French defender was a hideous error of judgement. Captains do not run away when last minute penalties are awarded against their team. They do not react to goals by kicking advertising hoardings to pieces and they certainly do not burst into tears on the final whistle. Granted, everyone was upset by the terrible injury to Eduardo, but it is no excuse for this. Gallas is 30 years old, but his behaviour on Saturday indicated that his mental age is significantly lower. If your six year old son exploded like that in a park game, you’d be disappointed in him. For a professional athlete to behave so appallingly is beyond contempt.

Can you imagine John Terry bawling his eyes out like that? Absolutely not. Terry may be a serial complainer, but at least he plays like a man. Terry watched Petr Cech’s skull cave in at Reading last season, then saw his replacement Carlo Cudicini carried from the pitch on a stretcher an hour later. Did he run around screaming and booting Playstation adverts? Nope. He calmly rallied his troops, got in goal himself and helped Chelsea to hold out for a unlikely 1-0 win. Cech nearly died in brain surgery that night and, without wanting to diminish the seriousness of Eduardo’s injury, the situation at The Madjeski Stadium looked significantly bleaker than a badly broken leg. That’s the time for leadership, not hysteria. Likewise, when things are going against Liverpool, Steven Gerrard chooses to try the audacious, the impossible, anything to bring his team back into the ascendancy. It doesn’t always work, but it’s considerably more constructive than throwing a tantrum.

Worryingly for Arsenal fans, there are deep chasms appearing in their side now. With the score at 2-1, Emmanuel Adebayor had a perfect opportunity to provide an open goal for his strike partner Nicolas Bendtner, but instead of unselfishly laying the ball off, he chose to shoot and missed. Bendtner was furious and with some justification. Clearly, something is rotten in the state of their relationship. Where is their captain when he is needed? Oh, he’s over there on the sidelines, pretending to be the Incredible Hulk.

Arsenal’s players are young and they need guidance on the pitch but how can they look respectfully towards Gallas now? Men are curiously tribal creatures, always looking either for supremacy, or for an alpha male to follow. Gallas may have been designated as the leader by Wenger, but consciously or not, every man in the dressing room will now know that he is no longer worthy of the label.

Respect is everything, especially at this stage of the season. Imagine yourself on John Terry’s team, knowing that if nothing could shake him, then nothing could shake you. You’d follow him to the gates of hell. The only place Arsenal will follow Gallas to is second place in the table. Wenger must act now.

completely agree... reminds me a bit of when newcastle chocked and man utd won the title. it was there for arsenal to get one hand on the cup when all adebayor had to do was square it to bendtner, and when clichy has a nightmare but still wins the ball... he wants his captain to support him, not go schizo on the sidelines. what a ballbag, and i think it's over for arsenal now
 
Virtually the same as Steve Howard's column in the Sun today. Is Slipper Steve Howard?

I plead innocence! I haven't read The Sun today!

I did sit almost opposite him at the workstations in Wembley yesterday though, so maybe we sort of bonded a bit?
 
When it comes to the crunch Chelsea cant hack it though!

Apparently you're right. Not starting with Cole on the left was slightly mad and Mikel only turned up for 20 minutes which rather ruined Chelsea's best efforts to stop Spurs running through them.

That said, the 4 that Spurs played in the Final yesterday should be as good as any other defence in the Premiership bar Man Utd. Woodgate, without needing to score should have been man of the match for the casual way in which he subdued Drogba. King makes players around him look twice as good and the full backs are both more than capable of both defending and attacking.

Get rid of Zokora and get more than 3 moments of excellence out of Malbranque per game and Spurs will finally look like a serious football team rather than the best of the rest.
 
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