New Delhi: Arsenal captain William Gallas has lifted the lid on a series of extraordinary rows at the Emirates that have threatened to undermine his position as club captain.
The French international has been on the end of some harsh criticism ever since Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger festooned his bicep with the captain's armband.
Some defensive lapses, a now infamous sulking performance against Birmingham City last season and a recent photograph of the 31-year-old with a cigarette pursed between his lips have all served to raise question marks about the former Marseille man's suitability as club captain.
However, his latest revelations expose a much broader scepticism of his leadership abilities as he discloses a lack of respect for his authority throughout the Arsenal ranks.
Gallas told the press he believes that he is shoudering the lion's share of the blame for Arsenal's inconsistencies, and revealed that the Gunners' on-field play has been blighted by infighting.
He told AP: "When, as captain, some players come up to you and talk to you about a player - complaining about him - and then during the match you speak to this player and the player in question insults us. There comes a time where we can no longer comprehend how this can happen.
"I am trying to defend myself a bit without giving names. Otherwise I'm taking it all (the blame). It's very frustrating. I'm 31, the player is six years younger than me."
Gallas also spoke of a dressing room confrontation during the recent 4-4 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates, in which Arsenal threw away a 4-2 injury time lead.
He continued: "There was a problem at half time. The only thing that I could say at half time was 'Guys, we resolve these problems after the match, not at half-time.'"
Gallas rounded off the public criticism of his own troops by questioning the team's heart for battle. Already defeated four times this season, the former Chelsea man believes that the side needs to find the requisite courage to fight teams who no longer fear Arsenal.
He concluded: "We have to understand that, to be champions, you have to play big matches every weekend and fight. We are coming up against teams who are not scared to play football against us, who are not scared to take us on at our place, and this is becoming dangerous for Arsenal.
"We are not brave enough in battle. I think we need to be soldiers. We have to be warriors. There are teams who can do it well against us, and we have to be able to face up to these attacks."
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