So, William Gallas seems to have finally lost the plot, and with it, possibly his Arsenal captaincy.

Arsene Wenger must be at the end of his tether putting up with the erratic, outspoken and unreliable centre-half and after a scathing attack on Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie, Arsenal's ever-promising youngsters and the Poirot-esque mystery of the disliked ‘six years younger than me’ star, it seems that change is desperately needed in order to save the Gunners' season.

Here are five of the best candidates, yet sadly, their best may still not be good enough...

Kolo Toure: Ol’ Bill’s usual defensive partner and vice captain, Toure, jumps straight to the forefront boasting six years of devoted service to the club, longer than any other current player. He has seen Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry leave and become accustomed to picking up the pieces and leading by example week in week out.

A consummate professional, his pacy and powerful performances have established Toure as one of the Premier League's more feared defenders and, at 27, he is one of the oldest members of the Arsenal squad and boasts much-needed experience, unlike Gallas, who seems to have become a grumpy old man at 31. However, he does lack the ferocity of a Nemanja Vidic, the guile of a Ricardo Carvalho and most importantly, the leadership of a John Terry.

Manuel Almunia: Faring slightly better at the moment than another Manuel, Almunia has led the Gunners on a number of previous occasions. His ever-so-subtle rise from part time back-up to replacing the eternal misery that was Jens Lehmann, to becoming a very solid Premier League goalkeeper has gone mildly unnoticed. Presumably that’s why he decided to dye his hair that ridiculous shade of what can only be described as ‘luminous’.

At an older 31 than Gallas and Mikael Silvestre, Almunia is the oldest member of Arsenal's kindergarden squad. Good experience. He has also played in a Champions League final. Good experience. However, he has no international caps due to the domination of Iker Casillas, and being tempted to become an English goalkeeper can be nothing but trouble. Look how Scott Carson’s getting on, and he wasn’t born in Pamplona.

Cesc Fabregas: Liverpool have Steven Gerrard. Chelsea have Frank Lampard. Manchester United have Paul Scholes. The midfield magicians whose wizardry and will-power win games when all is lost, the manager is out of ideas and the young guns have given up. Yet, Fabregas still is one of the said young guns, so even though he has undeniable ability, his tendency to go missing sometimes voids his ability to inspire.

Maybe this is harsh, as Cesc proved his critics wrong and was a changed man for his country during Euro 2008. It showed that with time and the hopeful proof of his still questionable loyalty, he can be the man to depend on in coming years. If he was 25, the obvious choice.

Robin van Persie: On his day, Van Persie is one of the biggest talents in world football. Yet when he chooses, he in an inconsistent, lazy hot-head. His age makes him a prime contender for the Poirot mystery, and his recent assault on Thomas Sorensen will do little to enforce his captaincy credibilities to a surely already unconvinced Arsene Wenger.

Theo Walcott: Theo is the star, the excitement - the passion, the risk. The future, the feeling that Arsenal may once again lift doubles, reach Champions League finals and go seasons unbeaten. His rise to the forefront has been as well documented as any, but the maturity shown in dealing with the pressure has been exemplary.

So why can’t Theo take the role? Because he’s about 12 years old, that’s why, and herein lies the problem.

Arsenal may have a young, thriving, enthralling squad playing a new sexy brand of total football, but every good side needs a leader, and leaders don’t grow on trees, they don’t appear aged 17 out of a youth academy, and they can’t be bought in to a new squad and be expected to take the wheel of a ship spiralling out of control.

Good luck Arsene, you’ll need it.