Gallas captaincy under threat - Taylor

Former England manager Graham Taylor believes Arsene Wenger would be wrong to retain William Gallas as his captain after the defender launched a verbal attack on his Arsenal team-mates on Thursday.

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Wenger deals with Gallas last season at Birmingham.

In an interview given in his native France, 31-year-old Gallas questioned the commitment of the Gunners' first-team squad following four league defeats this season.

The France international also revealed some team-mates have approached him to complain about one member of the squad in particular, and although Gallas did not reveal his identity he claimed the player was six years his junior.

The controversial comments have given way to renewed speculation over the conduct of the experienced centre-back, who was widely criticised for his emotional outburst following Arsenal's 2-2 draw against Birmingham in February.

Gallas' latest misdemeanour has left his grip on the Arsenal captaincy looking shaky, and Taylor believes the time has come for Wenger to swing the axe.

''Would we not think that by now Arsene Wenger, the manager that he is, would know the kind of person he wants as a captain, and if it isn't working for him, make those changes,'' Taylor told BBC Radio Five Live.

''He knows his players better than any of us, he knows what he's looking for as a leader, as a captain. If he feels that Gallas isn't doing that then I think he's wrong if he continues with him.

''I would have thought by now a manager of Arsene Wenger's calibre knows what makes a good captain, and I'm somewhat surprised that he still has stuck with Gallas even after that Birmingham situation.''

Meanwhile, former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn has criticised Gallas' outburst against the Gunners and hinted his future at the club could be on the line.

''We all know arguments happen at half-time and full-time in any game, not just at Arsenal, and they're dealt with inside the club,'' he said. ''It certainly doesn't need the captain to come out and tell the world players have fallen out - that can be good, it shows they care and are not prepared to accept defeat.

''He actually said one team-mate is being disruptive, which puts the suspicion of blame on four or five players. He hasn't come out and named the player.

''Gallas is the link within the club. He should have sorted it out with his players or gone to the manager and said 'we have a problem with this player'.''

Wenger has yet to react to Gallas' comments but there is speculation he could be stripped of the captaincy, which Winterburn believes would put the skipper in a difficult position.

''Wenger is very loyal, he protects his players because he believes in them,'' the 44-year-old added. ''It's a difficult decision. If he takes the captaincy away he's almost saying he doesn't trust him as a player and then maybe he shouldn't be playing within the team.

''Behind closed doors he'll be very, very disappointed. Whether he'll let us know that is a different matter.''

Despite Gallas' claims, Winterburn believes there are no serious problems within the Arsenal squad and the current tensions can be explained by their struggles on the pitch.

''When you're at the big clubs you're expected to win week in, week out and there's a little bit of inconsistency at the moment,'' he added.

''The problems will be frustration coming out, nothing more. Even if you don't like someone you've got to respect each other and go out and play together.

''When things are not going well, everyone is looking for bits and pieces to explain why, and what you don't need is the captain coming out and saying players are causing problems within the dressing room.''