GALLAS shames the great Arsenal captains of the past with his petulance, whinging and sneering


CHIMBONDA is a disgrace - drum him out of White Hart Lane


KEEGAN wants four more wins - four shots would be a start

One week he's kicking Nani off the ball, because his team have been thrashed and he's throwing a tantrum.

• Friday's HATCHET MAN

The next week, admittedly in exceptionally trying circumstances for Arsenal's young team, he's losing the plot; sulking at the wrong end of the pitch, weeping at the final whistle, losing his head.

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A captain of a football club is its leader, its talisman, its man for all occasions; first out of the tunnel and first up to collect a trophy, gracious in victory, calm and measured in defeat.

When you wear the armband, with it comes responsibility. You need to be a match-winner, or a match-saver – and sometimes both.

Arsenal, over the years, have had players of the stature of Pat Rice, Tony Adams, Thierry Henry – all inspirational captains for different reasons. Arsenal Football Club should have all our sympathies this weekend.

Losing Eduardo in such a way demands our understanding but then Gallas and his stroppy moods only draw sneering ridicule.

Having lost at Manchester United and drawn with Milan and Birmingham, it is time for Arsenal to stand as one, with their captain at the front, as they defend their position at the top of the league and plan for a second go at the European champions.

Is Gallas, a man who turns drama into chaos, the right man for such a task? Not from what we've seen in the last week.

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Arsene Wenger was wrong, very wrong, to attack Martin Taylor in such a way but we can all understand that, can't we?

Any one of us, in the same position, would have reacted in the same way. Bad tackle, horrible outcome and football is an emotional game. Well done to Wenger for his belated apology.

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It's Eduardo's birthday today. He's 25. Let's hope the news from the doctors is a gift of some good news.

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One final point, did James McFadden really go up to referee Mike Dean to try and argue against Taylor's red card, or were my eyes deceiving me?

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Arsenal's pain, Tottenham's gain. One team suffers in north London, another rejoices.

They had two days fewer than Chelsea to prepare for the Carling Cup Final but still looked fitter and fresh in extra time. The best team won. Are we about to see a changing of the guard?

All that promise, all that talent and a smart manager who is the king of cups. Isn't it time this meant more than just another false dawn for Spurs?

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The lumbering, moody, glove-wearing Pascal Chimbonda reacted to his substitution yesterday in a manner that should be damned.

Instead of accepting his team were losing and allowing a positive change to be made quickly, he slowly wandered off and sulked away down the tunnel.

You don't want that sort of player at your club. The arrival of Tom Huddlestone, in place of Chimbonda, changed the game; while Avram Grant moped about and delayed making changes (Joe Cole?), Juande Ramos won the day.

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Carling made a donation to the Bobby Moore fund for every fan back in their seat by the time the second half began yesterday.

So we have to bribe the prawn sandwich brigade to cheer on their teams now, do we? Nice gesture, pathetic fans.

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I am sure Avram Grant is nice to his kids and feeds the pets and donates to Help the Aged. He seems a decent sort of chap.

But if his team talks are the same as his after-match interviews, a minute listening to Avram is a minute too long.

At least when he comes on the telly, it's a chance to go and boil the kettle. He's about as interesting as sitting in a traffic jam in the rain.

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Back to the Premier League and still the Kevin Keegan circus continues. Another game, another defeat, another step closer to the drop zone.

Derby, Fulham and, probably, Reading are so poor it might keep Newcastle's zombies out of trouble.

Keegan says they need four more wins. Four more shots looks beyond them the way they are playing.

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Good weekend

1. Harry Redknapp. How pleased will he be to have avoided the horror show at Newcastle?

2. The straight talking of Roy Keane. "We were in awe of Portsmouth, my players should have brought their autograph books," he rapped.

Would you like to be at Sunderland's training session this morning?

3. Robbie Keane's joy at winning a medal. Good to see.

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Bad weekend

1. Nicolas Anelka on the left wing. I feel a sulk coming on.

2. Stephen Taylor (Newcastle). Not as good as he is cracked up to be. Sloppy defender.

3. Hansen and Lawrenson laughing at each other's jokes on Match of the Day. Tired, time for a change.

4. Ray "Mr Cholmondely Warner" Wilkins on Sky.

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