Arsenal old boy Nigel Winterburn has told William Gallas he must apologise for his outspoken comments if he is to remain at the Emirates Stadium.
The Frenchman rocked the club this week when he criticised his team-mates, and one unnamed member of the squad in particular.
Gallas was not in the side which lost 3-0 at Manchester City on Saturday amid claims he has already been stripped of the captaincy.
Winterburn told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek show: "Arsene Wenger has got to deal with it.
"If he takes the captaincy away and keeps him at the club, then obviously Gallas is going to have to apologise.
"The players are then just going to have to accept that and get on.
"But importantly for William Gallas, he is now going to have to win back over the fans, because they are the ones who can make or break your career."
Gallas has claimed his comments were made off the record, although his autobiography, which was published in his native country last week, includes further uncomplimentary remarks.
Winterburn insists a captain has a right to criticise, but admits some of what the defender said should have remained in-house.
He said: "If you are not happy with a particular player, or you think they are not pulling their weight, you speak with the player, you speak with the manager.
"Some of the things as a captain he is talking about, that they need to be more consistent, they have got to pull together, they have got to be mentally strong, that's okay.
"As a captain, you have the right to come out and say that.
"But when you start going deeper into other things specifically about your team-mates, that's where it should be kept within the club.
"He didn't come out and name a particular player that he was unhappy with, but he put suspicion on three or four players and from my point of view, that was the wrong thing to do.
"If you are really unhappy with somebody, if you do need to speak out, then really you need to name that player.
"It may be a frosty reception for him for a few days."
The defeat at Eastlands - the Gunners' fifth in the Barclays Premier League already this season - left them in fifth place in the table, a point adrift of Aston Villa and just one better off than promoted Hull.
However, Winterburn is convinced their quality will be brought to bear amid suggestions they could miss out on Champions League qualification at the end of the campaign.
He said: "A lot of people are getting very, very carried away with the situation at Arsenal at the moment.
"Listen, it has not been a fantastic start to the season for them, but with all the inconsistency they have had, you look at it and say Aston Villa are one point ahead of them.
"If Arsenal get back anywhere near the form they are capable of, they will finish in the top four, without a shadow of a doubt.
"But what they are doing with their inconsistency is giving others around them hope, and mainly that being Aston Villa at the moment."
