Jens Lehmann is like a Duracell bunny with a shovel
Add comment October 15th, 2007
When you think he can’t get any deeper into the hole he’s spent the last few weeks digging himself, he just keeps going.
Today he has called his situation to a head by demanding a return to the starting line-up when Arsenal face Bolton next weekend:
“I am fully fit and expect to be back against Bolton. Arsene Wenger has not told me anything but I am here now and I expect him to play me, so no worries.”
How exactly Jens is able to “expect” that is beyond me. We know all about his questionable start to the season, with huge mistakes gifting goals to Fulham and Blackburn. Since then, Manuel Almunia has come in and performed admirably, including five clean sheets from nine games. Meanwhile, Jens has thrashed out at everyone from the English press to Almunia himself.
Bizarrely, Lehmann is refusing to admit he has been excluded for any reason other than injury, as this video interview shows. So is it pure coincidence that he has been fit to play Germany’s International games but not Arsenal’s club games? Germany manager Joachim Low doesn’t seem to be talking about a player with an injury problem when he says:
“It is one of his great strengths that he is able to completely concentrate on the job in hand despite the difficult situation.”
The problem is that Jens isn’t reacting in the manner that you’d hope. He isn’t knuckling down, or making the right noises about earning his place in the first-team. He expects, on the back of his past achievements, to walk back into an in-form side. Sadly for him, I just can’t see it happening.
The reason Jens is acting that way is because his time is running out. This is probably his last season at the top level, and he is desperate to cling onto the Number 1 jersey and represent Germany at Euro 2008. It’s not the time to be patient and bide his time. He’s being deliberately boisterous and vocal about his unhappiness to give Arsene an ultimatum: pick me or I’m leaving.
With the January transfer window creeping ever closer, the latter is becoming more and more likely.
I’d like to follow arseblog’s lead and point you in the direction of these two pieces by Craig Murray on Alisher Usmanov. Interesting reading to say the least.
