Wenger: Gallas Is Not Right Mentally

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that defender William Gallas has still to find the stability in his mind after being stripped of the Gunners captaincy following an outburst in the media.

31-year-old Gallas, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates stadium in January, has become a cause of concern for Wenger. The Frenchman believes that while the former Chelsea player has regained some form for the Premier League club of late, Gallas has still to get things right mentally.

Wenger said: “On the human level, what happened with William was the most difficult thing I have had to handle in my career because I have a lot of esteem for him.

“He was caught in a media storm, a witch-hunt that isolated him to the point where it became a handicap for the team. He has refound the stability in his game but I am not convinced that, in his mind, he has refound his stability and his joie de vivre.”

Wenger also went on to reveal his disappointment at summer signing Samir Nasri from Marseille, who Wenger feels has had far too many injuries since his £12.7million switch.

Wenger added: “I thought Nasri had the qualities to be, say, a mixture between (Robert) Pires and (Alexander) Hleb. The dribbling of Hleb and the passing, vision and finishing of, Pires.

“His contribution? He has had too many injuries, far too many. It’s perhaps down to the fact he played sooner than I would have liked without being sufficiently ready for the Premier League.”