Big Willy Gone Flaccid?

I know I wasn't the only Arsenal fan to get a bit narked by William Gallas' persistent press releases last season; bemoaning the club's lack of ambition and the inexperience of the young players. However, since becoming captain his media approach seems to have changed drastically- and then I saw the headline "Arsenal Skipper Gallas Says Sorry To The Gunners For Attitude Problem (I would like to say sorry to you for all those capitals- my pedantic approach to quoting overrules all)." Finally Willy G has seen the error of his ways and no longer will he criticise the club's policies I thought. Wrongly.

"Sometimes I have been okay, but other times I have been very unhappy. Because of that I know it might have been difficult for the rest of the group because I wasn't always smiling when I was in the dressing room. I have experienced it before. The first week or so you can deal with it, but three, four, five weeks later? It's hard to keep smiling. So I want to say sorry to all the players and all the staff."

So, he isn't sorry for being an outspoken morale-damaging gobshite last season, he's apologising because he's sad at hurting his groin. Poor old Billy Willy. However, as strange and self-absorbed a character he is, he's irrefutably a magnificent player and the sooner he returns the better- assuming he doesn't pick up a fractured ego for France whilst Domenech manages to play him for 240 minutes.

Nicklas Bendtner's comments have once again been utterly sensationalised by all and sundry- "Bendtner considers options" and "Bendtner could move on" a couple of examples. What he actually said was:

"It's obvious that I don't want to sit on the bench for two years," he told Danish newspaper BT.

"There might be problems with my form in a few months, but I might also get more playing time. I will stay at Arsenal to fight for my chance and in case it doesn't work, I will join a different club permanently."

So if he doesn't make it at Arsenal then he'll move clubs. Riveting stuff. I get the impression that Bendtner's a bit of a cunt, but that's exactly what sets him apart- he's probably the only selfish goalscorer in the squad.

Apparently we've been ordered to pay £2.3m for Fran Merida to Barcelona, but hopefully we'll give them Jens and a couple of penny sweets a la Gio and Fabregas. In wonderfully predictable fashion Micah Richards has responded to the spin on his comments about being an Arsenal fan as a kid, Hlebby-baby mourns the fact that Belarus may never qualify for anything and Tomas Rosicky's weekly injury soap opera continues with a visit to the shoe-shop for our perpetually-crocked Czech international.

Emmanuel Adebayor discusses his relationship with his striker partner Robin Van Persie on the club website- I have to confess that I doubted Ade as a first-team regular, and have been wonderfully surprised with his form so far. I'd wager the majority of us would have had Van Persie down as our leading striker, but that's a contentious statement now. Also our reserves triumphed 1-0 at Chelsea, with Kieran Gibbs getting the winner.

As the drabness of the international week drags on, re-live Cesc's tackle on Repka by reading through the match report below. Until tomorrow.