You're making him mad, you don't want to make Gallas mad.

It looks like it’s going to be all rumors, innuendo, and recrimination until August.

First, Captain Gallas has had a go at the press:

They (the media) can say what they want…they will not bring me down, I’m stronger than that. It makes me mad because I don’t think (what happened in Birmingham) was our problem. How can you summarise our season with that thing at Birmingham? That is not why we stopped winning matches.

Good for him. I might disagree with the man occasionally (often) but I think parts of what he’s saying here are right on. The first part about the press saying what they want? Right on the nose. The second part about making him mad? Again, right on! The third part about Martin Taylor’s vicious mauling of Eduardo and Gallas’ subsequent emotional reaction are not what caused Arsenal to start losing matches? Hmmmm…

Look, William, Bill, can I call you Bill? good. Look, Billy, one of the hallmarks of a good leader is the ability to admit it when you are wrong. You say, “I’m sorry” shake hands and try to work on it so that you never do that sort of thing again.

If you look seriously at the last 2 months and cannot see the effect that your petulant display at Birmingham had on the team — specifically the defense which went to tatters after that match, doubling the goals allowed numbers — then I really don’t know what to say to you other than “bon voyage.” The captain of the team, who captains both the team and his defensive squad — where he plays — went to pieces at the same time that the defense went to pieces and you seriously can’t see that people would make that connection?

Bon voyage.

Admitting that you were wrong means that you are willing to learn from your mistakes and make yourself into a better player and a better captain. When you were winning you were a great captain but the measure of a man is not in the high times but in the low. And at Arsenal’s lowest moment, you reverted back to the old Willy; petty, petulant, pompous, and prevaricative. Or what I call “The 4 P’s of Bad Management.”

Speaking of Arsenal captains who practiced the 4 P’s of Bad Management: the press are linking Henry with Arsenal because he said that he “only has Arsenal in his heart” or something.

Let me be very clear (ahem): Thierry Henry is not walking through that door, folks… and if he does he will be old and gray.

Henry is not going back to Arsenal because Wenger has a strict policy against taking back former players as he reminded us all in January when Anelka was again linked to Arsenal.

Nicolas wanted to come back here and I considered buying him because he wanted to put things right, but we have a strict policy that once a player has gone we have to accept it

The “Thierry to Arsenal” stories are worth less than an American Dollar, case closed.

On the injury front, apparently Arsenal will be playing the U-18s on Monday instead of the first team.  Arsene has committed himself to resting players who are set to play in Euro 2008 (Fabregas, Bendtner, van Persie, Gallas, and Clichy) plus Arsenal are missing Hleb, Diaby, Rosicky, Djourou, Sagna, Flamini, and Eduardo due to injury or suspension. So many people are injured I seriously can’t keep track. I need a “who’s injured for Arsenal” widget on the blog so I can keep a running list. I’ll get right on it.

Oh yeah, I told my friend John that the Arsenal game is on Sunday, it’s not, it’s a Monday game, noon kickoff local time. The match is against Derby who are playing for Pride (pun intended) and I don’t think it will be a 6-0 thrashing if everyone is resting. It could be a good match.

Lastly, the Arsenal Women have won the league after a 4-1 come from behind lashing of the Chelsea women. This is the Arsenal women’s fifth consecutive league title. Impressive.

Coaching the Women’s team, Vic Akers has now won 10 league titles, 8 FA cups, and 9 League cups. My GF and I are having a little girl in May and I can only hope that she would one day want to play for a team with that kind of pedigree.

See you tomorrow!

Update: there’s a report coming out of Italy that Juventus is NOT signing Flamini but that AC Milan is… for 4m Euro, which is less than he is reportedly offered from Arsenal. I think this is just further proof that you cannot trust anything you read in the paper.

T-minus 5 days for him to sign with Arsenal.

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