Wenger's gamble

Arsene Wenger finally did it. After months of haranguing by the media, he finally stripped the captaincy from William Gallas, their eccentric defender and skipper since Thierry Henry depart the club for Barcelona.

The problems with Gallas were prominent in the eyes of observers even before he arrived at Ashburton Grove. His infamous threat to score an own goal at Stamford Bridge if Chelsea did not allow him a move to Emirates should have been an omen to Wenger. Such player should not have been allowed into a team in the first place - since he's bound to disrespect the team sooner or later. Which in this case proved to be later than thought, surprisingly.

Yet Wenger had to bolster his failing defense, for he had begun his youth revolution, having let go of such heavy weights as Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Ray Parlour, Martin Keown and most of all Patrick Viera - the indomitable captain whose presence gave their opponents a tough time in midfield. In the absence of these veterans, Wenger was forced to rely heavily on Gilberto, the aging Brazillian veteran of several World Cup Campaigns. There was Lauren at right back, Kolo Toure at the center, Gael Clichy at left. Of the three, Lauren had to go when persistent injuries gave the younger Bacary Sagna a chance at right back, and he flourished. Out went Lauren.

The only option for Wenger was Gallas.

Having arrived at Emirates in August 2006, Arsenal lost eight league games, and in the process, conceded 35 goals, collecting a dismal total of 68 points throughout the entire season.

His second season started with him taking up the captaincy from the departing Henry. He led Arsenal to third in the league, four points off eventual winners Manchester United. But that particular season was controversial for Gallas, at least that is how Fleet Street pictures it.

Gallas received scathing criticism during the game which saw Eduardo's leg broken due to a horrific tackle by Martin Taylor. Gallas went on to protest the tackle, in the process displaying some antics that had people questioning his leadership skills.

This season had not been kind to Arsenal nor to Gallas. Their defensive frailties were there to exploit by likes of Fulham, Hull City, Stoke, Aston Villa, and last, but not least, Manchester City. Worst still, their arch nemesis, Tottenham Hostpur under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, were able to rip open their defense, forcing Arsenal to an eight goal thriller at Emirates. That was Spurs best performance against their eternal north London rival. That was Arsenal's worst performance so far this season, never mind the drubbing they got from Manchester City last week.

The point is, Gallas was erratic at best, a clown at worst as Arsenal's captain. He had neither the skills required to skipper a football team nor does he have the confidence of his team mates at the dressing room. That last bit proved to his undoing when he publicly chastise Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie among others for their lack of commitment.

Wenger had to respond in a stern manner that would send signal to others that he would not tolerate such public display of antics.

Hence, we now have captain Cesc Fabregas - infamous for the Pizza Gate scandal a couple of seasons back - at helm. Only time will tell if this gamble would work for Arsene Wenger's Arsenal - and not too soon. Their next Premier League match: at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, no less!