Arsenal Opinion

It takes a certain character to come back from a ridiculing from the press, or at times their own fans, but William Gallas has done exactly that. The day I’m talking about is of course 23^rd February 2008 against Birmingham in which Gallas lost the plot, and eventually lost his captaincy, and some believe may have lost the league for Arsenal that season. I disagree with the latter.

Gallas has come back a stronger character and a better player. This season he has been colossal, and has formed one of the most fearsome defensive partnerships with Vermaelen.

I would go as far as saying he’s in contention with Arsenals player of the season, but the exceptional season Fabregas has had will ensure that won’t happen again. Fabregas, Vermaelen and Gallas have the backbone to our team, and the key for this season’s success.

A few players have had a similar turnaround in football, and especially at Arsenal, but I can’t think of many that have come through it with flying colours so exceptionally well as Gallas.

Eboue is one player who has sprung back from such a confidence knock, since his shambolic performance against Wigan in December 2008, and he’s finally won over a majority of the fans and became somewhat of a cult hero at Arsenal.

Alex Song is another player who was in for much criticism early in his Arsenal career, but this season he has really proved the doubters wrong and become one of the first names on the team sheet.

Other players outside of Arsenal are of course David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Beckham has a whole nation against him after the sending off in the 1998 World Cup against Argentina, and many blamed him for the defeat. But Beckham soon turned it around, and the highlight of his ‘villain to hero’ came in October 2001 when he scored a free kick against Greece with minutes remaining to ensure England qualified for the 2002 World Cup.

The hate for Ronaldo was a little bit different. During the 2006 World Cup quarter-final against England, he was seen as influencing the referee be complaining about a stamp from Man United team-mate Wayne Rooney on a Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. The nation was against Ronaldo, and even some of hard-core Man United fans turned against him. But he turned it around.

One thing that you can learn from taking a knock in football is that you can talk all you like, but at the end of the day the football is going to do the talking. All of these players I’ve mentioned above are a role model for any players going through a rough patch, and they all deserve a little bit of extra credit.