Last updated 12:38, Wednesday, 26 November 2008

The dummy came flying out of William Gallas’ mouth so fast, it’s a wonder it didn’t put Arsene Wenger’s eye out.

Yet still the Arsenal manager won’t admit that he made an error of judgement in appointing the temperamental defender as captain in the first place.

Nor does he accept he should have stripped him of the armband last February when Gallas made his petulant, childish sit down protest on the pitch at Birmingham.

Wenger, ridiculously, has blamed the media for the current crisis at the Emirates Stadium.

He claims it was they who turned up the pressure on Gallas in the aftermath of the central defender’s outrageous attack on his team-mates in which he accused them of lacking bottle and revealed deep divisions in the dressing room.

We’re used to Wenger never telling it like it is but his excuse is just plan silly. It’s about time he stopped constantly looking for scapegoats and dodging the big issues.

He would win more admirers if, on certain occasions, he made his players face up to their responsibility instead of looking to blame others for their appalling behaviour.

As for Gallas, pictured, the timing of his outburst is a disgrace. He deserved to be dropped and stripped of the armband but his behaviour should edge him towards the exit door because his mere presence in the dressing room will be a distraction to his team-mates.

The disruptive behaviour has done nothing to help Arsenal, who endured a demoralising week with successive Premier League defeats leaving them 10 points adrift of the leaders.

But it will have done everything to help boost sales of his forthcoming autobiography. Wearing the captain’s armband still has a symbolic importance to players and fans, and Gallas doesn’t deserve the privilege.

Arsenal’s title hopes are hanging by a thread with only a third of the season gone and the man whose job it is to galvanise and rally the team has totally betrayed them.

Gallas returned to training with the rest of Arsenal’s players on Monday, but despite public shows of togetherness I doubt he will be forgiven for the disruption he has caused.

It’s going to take more than last night’s outstanding Champions League display to heal this dressing room rift.