Gallas galvanised by extra responsibility

Discontent has dogged Arsenal for months. Thierry Henry's departure solved one dressing room problem and awarding William Gallas the captaincy appears to be Arsène Wenger's solution to another.

The Arsenal manager admitted yesterday he had handed Gallas the arm-band as a means of helping to improve the defender's attitude which has been a problem since his move from Chelsea last year.

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All summer Gallas has made his unhappiness plain, twice using his own personal website to question Arsenal's ambition, the lack of spending and even declaring that he would seek talks with Wenger on behalf of the other players.

As part of those talks, it appears that Wenger has replied that it was time that Gallas, 30 next week, took on more responsibility as one of the senior men. "He has to set an example everywhere," Wenger said. "Not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well."

Such responsibility may come as a surprise but although Wenger dismissed the way that Gallas left his previous club where he felt undervalued and agitated for a move – "I don't know how he did at Chelsea" – he effectively admitted that he had not always been a force for good at Arsenal too. "But I must say that this year he has been a very positive influence."

The inference was that last season, in a campaign admittedly hampered by injury, the same could not be said of Gallas who was – and is – close to Henry and shares some of his misgivings about the potential and ambition at Arsenal.

Awarding the captaincy to such a fierce competitor as Gallas, and one with an edge, was also a clear sign from Wenger that, at times, his team have simply been too nice. Indeed everyone appeared to expect that Gilberto Silva would succeed Henry – including the Brazilian himself – and Wenger's decision points at a change of direction. "There is no special risk," he said of appointing Gallas. "Captain is an important position but what is more important is team spirit."

Gallas is aware that he has to improve his own behaviour. In his first programme notes for the club, prior to last Sunday's Premier League game against Fulham, he wrote: "I think you will see a new William Gallas this year." And he did not just mean one who is injury-free. Gallas said it was important for him to accept the challenge, talk to the other players and be more inclusive.

A casualty of this has been Gilberto. It would be difficult to find a more amiable, pleasant person in football and despite his undoubted desire that passive demeanour may have helped make Wenger's mind up. Still the manager had to admit that he had an "eye-to-eye meeting" with Gilberto at the training ground yesterday to explain his decision.

The midfielder, who only found out he had been passed over by reading about it on the club's website, is clearly hurt. "I made my decision," Wenger said. "When you make a decision it is not to please everybody or surprise anyone. I respect a lot Gilberto and I told him what I wanted to tell him. And that's it."

Indeed it was. Wenger had made clear his frustrations about last season and clearly felt changes, in attitude and the odd bit of personnel, had to be made. He is slightly hamstrung, however, as he flew out with the rest of his squad for tonight's Champions League qualification tie against Sparta Prague. Gilberto is not yet match-fit after the Copa America while injury has deprived Wenger of Abou Diaby and Denilson. It's the absence of the strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Eduardo da Silva, both also injured, which will hit hardest.

The Czech champions are familiar opponents. This is Arsenal's fifth meeting with them in this competition since 2000 with Wenger's team winning comfortably on each previous occasion – including a victory at Highbury seven years ago when Tomas Rosicky scored for the visitors. Arsenal will hope the midfielder strikes again, for them, tonight.

Probable teams: Arsenal (4-5-1): Lehmann; Sagna, Gallas, Touré, Clichy; Eboué, Flamini, Fabregas, Rosicky; Hleb; Van Persie.

Sparta Prague (4-4-2): Postulka; Pospech; Kadlec, Brezinsky, Kaldrabsky; Abraham, Husek, Kisel, Limbersky; Kulic, Dosek.