Manuel Almunia has finally snapped at the latest round of verbals fired in his direction by Jens Lehmann, revealing the full extent of the rift between him and the German at Arsenal.
Following a start to the season characterised by less than assured goalkeeping displays, Lehmann found himself usurped as Arsene Wenger's first choice between the posts at Emirates Stadium.
Almunia's form in his team-mate's absence has seen him justify his selection as the club's recognised number one, but an outspoken Lehmann has failed to concur - often on record - with his manager's decision.
Lehmann's infamous spat on the international scene with Oliver Kahn has often made the headlines back in Germany, but this season his ire has been targeted a little closer to home; with Almunia regularly berated by his team-mate's candid comments.
This week Lehmann expressed his disdain at 'sitting on the bench behind somebody who only started to play when he was 30', and while Almunia has in the past has maintained a dignified silence, it would his patience has now run thin.
Candid
In an interview in the The Guardian, Almunia has spoken of his disappointment that Lehmann feels the need to so openly, and so regularly, voice his criticism.
"I'm an easy-going person," he said. "I like to treat everyone with respect and I see everyone as equals. I treat people the way I would like to be treated myself.
"To have someone here who hates me is just amazing. I know he hates me.
"Every morning I wake up I know it is going to be the same. I've had to put up with it every day since he was out of the team and even before then. I wake up and I know what it is going to be like.
"But I don't care about him any more. He can say what he likes. I come into training and I work with Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone. They are better goalkeepers than him anyway."
No reconciliation
While Almunia admits he has often felt exasperated by the situation, he is not prepared to engage in any kind of talks with his 38-year-old colleague, as he feels reconciliation is not now an option.
"It's his problem, not mine, and I don't see why I should try to talk to him about it. The truth is I don't want to talk to him. I came into training this morning and one of the press officers told me he had been saying bad things about me in the newspapers again. It didn't surprise me.
"The truth is I have got used to reading these things from him. If he was someone important to me, I would try to talk to him and see what the problem is. But he's not. So we don't talk.
"I've never been in a situation like this before in my career. Normally we goalkeepers have so much respect for each other.
"Why he doesn't respect me, I don't know. But I don't want any relationship with him. I try not to let what he says enter my mind because it's not important to me what he says or what he thinks."
Lehmann really is a selfish old bastard. He's 38 wtf is he thinking about? Instead of causing this problems, he should be supporting Almunia, so that, after he finishes his career, he would leave behind a good successor.
I think in summer either Almunia or Lehmann will leave, if Wenger doesn't manage to do cool Lehmann down.
I think any Arsenal suporter would tell you that Lehmann is gone after this season.
He's a self centered bastard. Thinks of himself before the club.
And, he has been pretty craptastic the this season and last.
While Almunia isn't a world beater, he has been great for team harmony and for the most part has kept Arsenal in matches.
Lehmann should have left in January. This I think also has to do with him wanting to be the number 1 goalkeeper for Germany. Should have left in January. It'll be fun to see him riding the pine for the NT.
Quality of Posts > Quantity of Posts
Please fill out your profiles and introduce yourself to the board HERE
United Zone Proudly Presents: Terrace Talk. Have a look, sign up and participate in our new blog. Click
FOUNDER OF THE KEEP BERBATOV AWAY FROM UNITED CAMPAIGN!!!
Avatar by Papercut, Sig 1 by .ak122. Sig 2 & Userbar by Dirtycheat
Lehmann should have left in January. This I think also has to do with him wanting to be the number 1 goalkeeper for Germany. Should have left in January. It'll be fun to see him riding the pine for the NT.
surely Neuer should be first choice hes twice the keeper lehman is.
Thanks to Janinho for the Sig and Papercut for the Avatar
i wonder if this was man utd and it was vds and PIG fighting:
a) how long before fergie tears up their contracts
b) how long before they will be banned from the media
c) how big a fine they will get
d) How quickly man united's elders would have intervened
e) whether this would have been allowed to go on for months.
it seems to me that although arsenal are a good side, they are lacking a bit in leadership and discipline.
I actually think jens is quite funny to listen to though. here is what he said
**SPOILERS**
-
-
-
-
-
-
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daily Mail
I'd have saved Arsenal from European heartbreak, insists Lehmann
Jens Lehmann has claimed Arsenal would be gearing up to play Chelsea in the semi-final of the Champions League if he had been picked against Liverpool, blaming Arsene Wenger's decision to select Manuel Almunia ahead of him as a major contributing factor in their quarter-final defeat.
The German has been fiercely critical of Wenger's decision to overlook him this season in favour of Almunia and is almost certain to quit the Emirates in the summer. But the goalkeeper, 38, is sure he could have left Arsenal with a Champions League winners' medal if he had been given the nod for the games against Liverpool.
Under wraps: Jens Lehmann suffers on the substitutes' bench during what has been a frustrating season for the Arsenal goalkeeper
'I stayed here to win the Champions League and I saw good chances to play, but I have not had these (chances) and that makes me very angry,' he fumed.
Discussing the 5-3 aggregate defeat to Liverpool, Lehmann added: 'For me personally, it is a tragedy, particularly since I did not have a chance to prevent it. I have had such thoughts (about being able to prevent defeats) ever since the coach took me out of the team following the 0-0 against Milan.'
Playing second fiddle to Almunia, a keeper he views as his inferior, has enraged Lehmann as has Wenger's failure to give him what he considers to be a fair chance to win back his place.
'To be sitting on the bench behind somebody who only started to play when he was 30 is not funny,' said Lehmann. 'I am very angry. If the coach had spoken to me before the start of the season then I would have been able to decide if I wanted to sit on the bench. He has a different opinion and I don't really believe he can be happy with it.'
Lehmann passed up the chance to join Borussia Dortmund in January to stay to fight for his place, but now fears his lack of action could jeopardise his chance of being Germany's first-choice keeper at Euro 2008.
Such is the breakdown in relations between him and his manager, Lehmann conceded even a starring role for his country this summer would be unlikely to convince Wenger that he is the best keeper at Arsenal.
He added: 'If he (Wenger) has not seen it yet, then he won't see it at the European Championship either if I perform well.'
Lehmann's club colleague, Alexander Hleb, has hit out at referees whose controversial penalty decisions also contributed to Arsenal's Champions League demise.
.
sig by shinx04
Quality > Quantity
which is why we give active members who post quality, media and pic room access.
Almunia - Lehmann hates me
Almunia - Lehmann hates me -
04-12-2008, 01:35 PM
Linear Mode
