I'm having to confess to being consistently proved wrong both by Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal team. But rather than be upset about having an enormous metaphorical custard pie in my face, I am delighted with the current trend of all my doubts and evil thoughts being dismissed week by week by the boys in red and white. Indeed, doubt number 2527578 has been eradicated: William Gallas has proven to be a bloody good choice as captain.

I guess it was during the 2-0 victory against Wigan on Saturday that I began to think about this topic. As you all know, the match had been a typically frustrating afternoon at the Emirates reminiscent of so many home games last season (other than the fact that we were not 0-1 down) where we failed to break down incredibly defensive sides. Just when it looked as though the goal might not come, up pops Gallas to score with an excellent header.

His celebration was so emphatic that I did wonder if he had met up with Maradona on Holloway Road to take some pills prior to the match, but it is more likely that the Frenchman was so pumped up and determined to grind out a victory with his young team-mates that the goal was a massive release for much pent up aggression. At this point, I realised we were in the presence of a fine captain.

'What a difference a few months can make. Not only are his defensive skills now shining through but also his qualities as a captain are becoming ever more apparent'


Of course, I have not always believed this. My saving grace in this story of a misplaced opinion is that I do not believe I was alone in thinking that William Gallas was the wrong choice as the man to succeed my beloved (but rubbish captain) Thierry Henry as leader of our young army.

Indeed, Gallas had spent the entire summer being quoted as being unhappy and questioning the transfer policy of Arsene Wenger. He looked to be trying to find a way out of the club, which despite all of his whining would have been a huge blow to the team, given his considerable stature and potential to form an incredibly solid partnership with Kolo Toure in central defence.

What a difference a few months can make. Not only are his defensive skills now shining through but also his qualities as a captain are becoming ever more apparent. Gallas has become the most fired up player in the Arsenal side, leading the side with vehemence and drive. But how has Willy G gone from being a moaning git into a fantastic captain in such a short space of time? I think it is a combination of two reasons.

Firstly, the Frenchman appears to have realised the that he is not the only member of the current Arsenal side who wants to win things. Perhaps it was the opening game of the season against Fulham that went some way to convincing him of this. The class of 2006/2007 might well have gone on to gain a point having gone 0-1 down in 52 seconds but I do not think the team would have scored two goals in the final ten minutes to actually win the game.

I don't think Gallas did, either. Yet the sheer determination and quality of the side shone through (albeit against rather average opponents) and Arsenal won a match they might not have done a year ago.

Secondly, Gallas now has the extra responsibility that he was so desperate for before the season began. It appears to have changed his mentality about playing for Arsenal and with the knowledge that many of the younger players are now looking up to him, he is leading by example, playing with fierce determination and quality. Perhaps Gallas required the captaincy to really kick-start his Arsenal career, and finally the player is playing for his team-mates and the club rather than himself.

This fact has not been lost on his colleagues, who are clearly enjoying his vocal captaincy. Indeed, Toure has spoken about Gallas's influence on the dressing room. His performances are making him an excellent role model for the younger players, and now that he has started to praise the young starlets rather than slag them off, there is a genuine sense of positivity surrounding each and every one of our players.

So it seems Wenger has made another excellent decision. He has a habit of consistently referring to some players as winners, and he has labelled Gallas as one several times. For a while, I questioned what it was about Gallas that really warranted Arsene giving him this title. I believe I am starting to understand.

One thing that fans love above all else is a player who never gives up, has excellent quality and most importantly has enthusiasm and a will to get victory above all else when the chips are down. This is what a winner is, to me anyway. Unexpectedly, but thankfully, in William Gallas we now have now found our very own Captain Fantastic, and a winner indeed.

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