da leao： Pat Jennings, Sol Campbell, Willie Young and in more recent times, William Gallas; a brave list to be on, donning the colours of both North London giants.
da fezbet： William Gallas had his fair share of headlines whilst at Arsenal (with the majority unwanted), so nobody was surprised when Arsene Wenger refused to break his policy of only offering one year contract extensions to players over thirty. Wenger, like most, felt that his fallen captain had seen his best days and was happy to see him move on.
Mainland Europe was thought to be Gallas’ next addition to his Curriculum Vitae, with the likes of Paris St Germain and Seville rumoured to be interested in the Frenchman. However, in typical Harry Redknapp fashion, he stepped in for the former Gunner; shocking the world of football. We all know Harry is a fantastic ‘wheeler dealer’ in the transfer market, but many doubted the Tottenham manager when he signed Gallas. Redknapp had so much to lose with the fans if, like many predicted, the signing was a total disaster; but Harry came up trumps.
Gallas has adeptly filled the hole that club captain Ledley King regularly leaves due to persistent injuries. Furthermore, Gallas has surprisingly become a positive influence in the dressing room, contrary to his time at Arsenal, where it was reported the younger players feared Gallas. Michael Dawson has hailed Gallas’ influence and the two seem to have gelled; most noticeably, in Tottenham’s recent stoic and resilient draw at White Hart Lane against European titans AC Milan. The signing of Gallas has allowed Spurs to enter the greatest club competition in the world with a seasoned campaigner, providing invaluable lessons and reality checks about the task ahead. How handy Gallas could have been to the Arsenal manager now, especially when you consider the defensive frailties that have cost Arsenal so dearly in recent weeks.
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You have to question why the sudden change of character in William Gallas as a person and a footballer. Perhaps now at the age of 33, Gallas is just enjoying his football, having already experienced an illustrious career; combine that with not having the pressure of being captain and it would seem that he is just happy to be on the field; taking any success that comes with that. Alternatively, Harry Redknapp may be due the credit for calming down the volatile Frenchman; stilI, I feel the difference in Gallas’ performances and mentality is that, as ironic as it may seem, at Spurs, Gallas is actually appreciated by the fans, unlike his time at the Emirates.
To understand the ultimate reason in Redknapp signing the former Arsenal man, you have to understand the bigger picture. Gallas is the seed for Tottenham’s growing European aspirations, adding a veritable element of je-ne-sais-quoi to the defence; he is potentially the French connection to European glory, for years to come.
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