Camden New Journal - Sports: Diarra

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Camden New Journal - by TOM FOOT
Published: 20 December 2007

Diarra told to follow Gallas’lead

Unsettled French midfielder must fight for his first-team place, says Wenger

UNSETTLED midfielder Lassana Diarra has been told to quit moaning and fight for his place.
The Frenchman, a deadline day signing from Chelsea, is frustrated at falling down the pecking order and told French newspapers at the weekend that he is keen to leave. He played no part in Arsenal’s win over his old club at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Wenger said later Diarra could not expect to walk into the starting line-up at a club where players like Mathieu Flamini, Alex Hleb and Cesc Fabregas were in such strong form. The Arsenal chief has shown how ruthless he can be with restless players in the past, allowing the likes of Edu and Sylvain Wiltord to go when they grumbled about first team opportunities.
He said: “Arsenal is a special club and it can take a few months to be penetrated by its spirit. I am unhappy he is unhappy and I will talk to him but he has to accept that competition is part of the job.”
The manager wants Diarra to take a leaf out of the book of club captain William Gallas, the goalscorer on Sunday who made the same move from Chelsea to Arsenal last year. Wenger said: “Gallas pops up when you need him to and he is the leader. The best definition of a leader is to show the example when you need to and he has done that a number of times – in the last minute against Manchester United and again on Sunday.”
Gallas who last season was questioning whether Arsenal had enough experienced players to mount a challenge for the championship, said on Sunday: “It was not easy for me playing against my ex-team. But it was very important for me to try to play well, to play for the team and not myself. Now I am 30, I understand the fans more. You have to show your enjoyment on the pitch and fight and play good football.”
He added: “When the victory is there, everybody is happy. For the players it is the same. I will go back home and be happy to be with my wife and kids. I don’t drink. I will drink at the end of the season. That is my new rule.”

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