Back from vacation + wavering title hopes = unhappy times

By: travis | March 28th, 2008

Well, I’m back. A nice week vacation away from work, school, and of course, Arsenal offside. Abby has dropped in and shared her thoughts with the Chelsea game. As far as I’m concerned, I’m moving on and putting out some updates from this week.

Big news: Bacary Sagna is out for three weeks. A huge loss, as he has been one of the more consistent performers of the season. A darn shame to lose him, and I expect Toure to fill in with Senderos coming in to partner with Gallas in the middle. Or the boss could bring in Armand Traore or Justin Hoyte. Two other possibilities. This ghetto Arsenal blog proposes three different options.

A lot of questioning of William Gallas and his captaincy has been front and center for much of the week. Ever since his tirade at Birmingham, rumors have been flying about that he isn’t the right man for the job, abrasive leadership style, etc. In response, some players have spoken out, most notably last year’s stand-in captain Gilberto, who denies a rift between Gallas and the rest of the players. Most importantly, Gallas still has the support of the coach. So that shouldn’t change anything. This situation, combined with quite a poor run of form is a test that Gallas has failed so far. Many people, including myself, doubted the selection. But hey, Wenger knows best.

It always amazes me at the way blame is thrown around, and how professionals complain about so much when it comes to leadership. While there has to be levels of truth to these allegations, it would only make sense to say that the media blows things way out of proportion. Tomorrow, look for a preview of the Bolton match.