Liverpool signed Keane, and so far no news on any Arsenal signings.
The team did thrash a pub team 10-2 though
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Why William Gallas should remain as Arsenal captain
By Myles Palmer
He is their best defender.
He is their most experienced defender.
He wants the job.
And there are no other candidates.
Fabregas is 22 and has enough to do, enough to think about, leading a young team which has won nothing. He is being groomed for the job but it's still too soon to give it to him.
Yes, Ray Wilkins was captain Chelsea at 18 but that was in another century. Football was a sport then. Now it's a business.
Fabregas will be a good captain for Arsenal. And in 2026 he will be a good manager for Arsenal. He'll be 40 then.
Kolo Toure likes being the No.2 man at the back. Playing with Sol Campbell, he was very good. Playing with Senderos, he wasn't.
Kolo is a terrific character who has become an Arsenal stalwart in the same way that Lee Dixon and Ray Parlour were Arsenal stalwarts. He is reliable and always gives 100% and the fans love that.
But as captain in the Carling Cup Final against Chelsea, Kolo Toure let the team down badly. He panicked and lost his head and that 2-1 defeat ended with a brawl and three red cards. And Kolo, having worn the armband that day, felt that failure very deeply. He felt that responsibility very deeply.
A year ago, Arsene did not choose Kolo Toure as captain. If he was not the man for the job in 2007, I don't see how he can be the right choice in August 2008.
OK, William Gallas was slaughtered for what he did in the last minute at Birmingham. No Arsenal captain had ever walked down the other end of the pitch and turned his back when a penalty was given against the team.
If Almunia parries the penalty kick, Gallas should be there clearing the ball or blocking the second shot. We know that.
When Clichys mistake gave referee Mike Dean the chance to make a mistake, Gallas over-reacted because he saw seven months work go down the toilet in one moment. He knew Arsenal had blown it. He knew they had blown the title, as we all did. That's why he reacted as he did.
Now, at last, Gallas has owned up. He has spoken about that trauma on February 23.
He said,
"I learned a lot, you want to be the best captain, give good advice to your players, but sometimes you can make mistakes as well. So I think this season I know what I'm going to do and I know I am ready to change my way to speak to the players."
We can understand that the other players were furious with Gallas sulking at the other end of the pitch. The fans were livid. And the manager was very, very disappointed by his captain's reaction.
I hope Gallas keeps the armband. He's a warrior who can concentrate and score a goal in a very tight games. I still think he's the best man for the job.
Jul 29, 2008
