Jens Lehmann on Manuel Almunia and next season’s title race
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann believes that even if the Gunners are to lose captain Cesc Fabregas during the summer, they will still be title contenders next season.
Speaking before the kick-off of the World Cup Finals, the now-retired 40-year old explained that it would be a huge blow for Arsenal if Barcelona succeed in taking the 23-year old away from London but added that if a player wants to leave, one simply cannot force him to stay.
As for the title race, with or without the Spaniard, the Gunners will still be up there with the best of English football, especially since Arsene Wenger would find a proper replacement for the captain.
Lehmann, who joined the Gunners in 2003 to replace David Seaman, was in goal for the Invincibles and according to many he is yet to be replaced adequately after his departure from London, with Manuel Almunia first and now Lukasz Fabianski not really providing enough confidence to the Arsenal backline.
On the Spaniard, the German admitted that he saw very little of him last season but did see him against Barcelona at the Emirates, game in which he was simply superb in the first half.
Lehmann said:
Of course, it would be a disappointment for the Arsenal fans and the club [if Fabregas was to leave] because he was the main man during recent years.
But you have to move on as a club and if players want to move, you can’t force them to stay.
I think Arsene Wenger will find a good replacement if he leaves – probably some more matured players – and they will be up for the title again.
To be honest, I did not follow Arsenal that closely but I did see Almunia’s performance against Barcelona and it was absolutely world class for me. But I can’t really judge because I did not see the rest of the season.
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GK – Vincent Enyeama
2CB – Laurent Koscielny, Gary Cahil, Micah Richards, Steven Taylor.
DM Cover – Lorik Cana
For Fabregas – Gourcuff, Mesut Özil,
Vincent Enyeama
Sagna – Joann Djorou – Vermalean – Clichy
Alex Song
Gourcuff Samir Nasri
Arshavin
Van Persie – Chamakh
How about we not make Enyeama look like the next Oliver Khan just yet based on one game.
He was man of the match against Argentina but when he can do it consistently against tough opponents weekly then let me know, not just a one off showcase.
Enyeama has consistently proven himself. He has been voted Israel’s Player of the Season. And mind you he wont cost 5 million pounds
I didn’t know Torres, Drogba, Villa, Messi, Milito and Rooney are playing in the Israeli league
i see your point wc. the trouble is, ive never seen this enyeama guy play. yet id still take him over almunia or fabianski at the start of next year. agree?
Thank god i read your comment. I was worried that id clicked onto a childs fan site. ENYEAMA , OH MY GOD . Every goal keeper in the world has had an amazing game at some point , and to all the fans writing here, you will probably see another one or two amazing performances in the world cup from goalkeepers who are nobodys , and who come from possibly very small leagues and small footballing countrys. That is all it is though , ONE GOOD PERFORMANCE . Im stunned at any arsenal fan writing comments that even mention him in arsenals league. In terms of judging almunia , well he played amazing against barcelona so i guess he is amazing goalie too . Afterall one good performance makes you great right ?.
Oh sorry my fault , i forgot , israels best player. LOL . he must be good
Halllllllllllllllllllllo Mr. WC or should i say Mr. el-wolly!!! “HAVE YOU EVEN BEEN WATCHING EUROPEAN FOOTBALL AT ALL THIS SEASON?” Enyeama has been consistently proving that he’s class against top sides in the europa league and thats against some tough nut teams like A. madrid, Liverpool and the rest. Watch football before you post these snart mouthed comments!!!
SIMPLE!!!
Yeah that 7th place Liverpool, 9th place Atletico Madrid and 12th place Fulham sure are tough ones.
This is old news mate. I think I read it here Tuesday or so http://redlondon.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/lehmann-speaks-on-almunia-and-fabregas-situations/
Anyway, Jens is a legend!
Jens is a classy gentleman too.
Too bad Jens watched the best game of Calamunia’s career.
yes eneyama is V gud ….but i think his price would be high after the world cup so arsene need 2 buy him quickly …..the bast thing he also scores goals….haha
Victor Enyeama could have joined us last summer. The player agreed term after his club let us speak to him, but the deal fell through as Hapoel Tel Aviv pushed the requested transfer fee up to GBP2m and Wenger wasn’t willing to go so high…
True Enyama is far better than Almunia. Actually even the south african keeper is than our keeper. But guys u need to look at Giovani dosantos of mexico he is purely an arsenal player i wish wenger could see that.
He failed Barca, failed at Spurs, failed at two loan spells to Ipswich and Galatasaray – why do you want to put that kind of rubbish in an Arsenal shirt?
Yes, but he’s only 21 and there’s no better manager out there than Wenger to get out the talent, if required
Like he has with Vela? We have enough lawn gnomes in the team, we don’t need to start an entire garden full of them
I don’t deny Vela’s management by Wenger was very poor but I want to believe it was indeed due to injuries as the player said.
Well, I still doubt that Wenger will bring in an extra keeper.
Unless Almunia or Fabianski leaves, or else I don’t see Wenger bringing in new keeper…
hey guys am a Nigerian but did i hear u guy cal Enyamas name. He had one of d best games of his lif if nt d best yesterday. Pls i dont want wenger 2 sign a gk n after 6months we wil all b here again askin him 2 sign som1 else. Pls i wil tak our 3 gk ahead of him. Any day any tim
He is a good goalkeeper who needs better club to excel.
I am not prepared to discuss this on going situation with Cesc,as undoubtedly it will come to a conclusion one way or another,sooner or later.I am more concerned that our chairman is quoted today that Gallas,Silvestre and Campbell have all been released,adding to the deparure of the higly raw talented Merida and the inevitable that Senderos has also gone. that’s 5 players out and as of today only Chamakh in.
England haven’t got an automatic first choice keeper, and to me that is the number one priority for us,together with a replacement for Gallas.
We will see more changes this summer than in the last 5 seasons, and that does not bode well with me.
Attacking wise,we have many options, but unless we tighten up our defence,I see yet another barren season.
Almunia is better than the nigerian.
Who said so? Am not suprice Enyema will be the talk of the day. Last season, he nearly joined us but wenger said no. The same ball messi played for alumunia and it enterd was what he played for Enyema. Enyema said he studied messi and the result was that messi could not see his back. Dis guy is better than alumumia and he improve every day. Enyema is a gunner and am happy wenger was there. What about onyewu of USA? That guy stopped all the top english players. Roony nearly cried. Wenger should go for him
Got it on good authority from within the club that Joe Cole and Steven Taylor will be at the Emirates next season
@Madu ur being a Nigerian only goes to make u blind if ur blind eyes will allow, u may want 2 checkout these records. 2002 WC Best save (from a Paul Scholes strike) Best goal keeper 2004 African nations cup 2010 goal keeper of d yr(isr) & and just after a match against some the best foot in the business-well u know that 1. U don’t get such resume from being a floppy gk & u could compare him a gk who despite playing 4 such top club as arsenal has not being able 2 earn a call up for his country. U may also want ask Y all the coaches we hv had since 2002 all sticked 2 him
its only true that a prophet has no respect at home
that keeper is just a good shot stopper and thats all, he cant catch the ball in the air and he is way to small
i think that once in a while (coming from a goalkeeper ) every keeper has a great game and you cant judge a keeper from one game . Sure there is no doubt that Enyeama is better than almunia i mean its not hard. we need a goalkeeper a cb and a midfielder replacent if cesc leaves . wathcign england yeterday USA centre back oneywu was solid rooney couldnt get passed him , he is strong, 6”4 what more can u want from
a traditional ‘hard man ‘ centre back
Vincent Enyeama has been a great goalkeeper since he was introduced to big stage at the 2002 w/c as an homebase player for EYINBA FC in the Nigeria league. he’s got experience at highest level having been playing against the world class player at the cup of nation and also in Europe so is better than all of our keepers , so if Arsene can get him and give him time to express himself as SPURS did to Gomes , he will be a great goallie and a good no 1 we av been asking for.
world class players at cup of nations , not so sure about that really .
I mean eto , drogba , some good midfielders definately , but world class , i really dont think so . Again though you cant judge footballers on tournament football , the same way you cant judge teams on it , i mean porto and liverpool win the champions league and we are definately better than them , enyeama im afraid to say is not one of the top goalies in the world ( not even close infact) , and if arsenal want to do something in the league which is where it counts we need a genuine class goal keeper
The question is not whether he is a good goal keeper, but whether Arsene Wenger rates him at the PRICE his club want to sell him.
I think after the season that tech9 has had on loan at Brendford Arsene has decided that he is the future Arsenal goalkeeper and therefore we need only somebody as a stop gap until he is ready. That is likely to be not the comning season, but the one after. That’s the reason why we bid for Fulham’s 37 years old Australian goalkeeper.
Can we stop talking about Gourcuff, as despite the hype he will not fit within the Arsenal way of play. He never play small quick triangle passes. Yes having played two season with Chamack he will find some automatism but for the rest he would destroy the balance of the team.
I think that Lansbury and JET are better long term prospect in that position.
I disagree about Gourcuff unable to play a triangle game. However he’s talented but lazy. Gourcuff hardly runs unless it results in a forward push, can’t defend and hates to come from deep. He’s basically Arshavin.
Cesc works for the team, drops deep and tracks back and that’s how Wenger wants Arsenal works now – attack as a team, defend as a team. No room for players to lounge around waiting for the ball.
Again – Mesut Ozil, German genius, that is all.
Like it or not, Enyeama has been consistent for years. He’s very good and I like to see him in post us.
Define consistent, because Tel Aviv Hapoel hasn’t exactly been a regular CL fixture so he might be able to save goals from players in the Isreali league on a weekly basis but when Torres, Drogba and Rooney are your opponents twice a year and you keep them out then I’ll give it a look.