Ex Gunner Perry Groves: Gallas should not be a captain

Former Arsenal player Perry Groves speaks about stripping Gallas off the captaincy...

Arsenal skipper William Gallas was roundly slammed for his behaviour at the final whistle as the Gunners drew with Birmingham last season.

More recently, he's been 'papped' smoking a cigarette and quoted as saying that there are massive rifts in the Gunners' dressing room.

Now, pundit and former Arsenal striker Perry Groves, who made 155 appearances for the club in the late 1980s/early '90s, wants Arsene Wenger to take the armband from the French stopper before things get any worse.

"Gallas has been an absolute disgrace," he roared. "I said a year ago that he should not have been made Arsenal captain.

"He should have been stripped of the captaincy ever since his behaviour at Birmingham.

"He has brought into disrepute all the great Arsenal captains of the past. And now for him to have the front to say that we have got to be like warriors!"

Also slamming his performances, Groves groaned: "I could name four or five goals we have conceded this season where he has not been prepared to get himself hurt. The goal we conceded against Fulham is one example, the one against Aston Villa, when he got knocked off the ball like an Under-15 defender, is another.

"Arsene Wenger has to take some responsibility because he is the one who made him captain. He should take the captaincy off him."

Groves' words will be a blow for Gallas, who recently said proudly that he'd bounced back to become a great leader. Now, he'd better hope that ex-Gunners of higher standing don't share Groves' view.