Arsenal, Euro 2008

Mad Jens deserves a little more respect

Jens Lehmann has never been one to slip through a game unobtrusively. Petulant, confrontational, aggressive and sometimes downright angry, has there ever been a goalkeeper who has been booked so much? However, Tim Wigmore say the Germany international deserves greater respect.

Jens Lehmann has never been one to slip through a game unobtrusively. Petulant, confrontational, aggressive and sometimes downright angry, has there ever been a goalkeeper who has been booked so much?

His exit from Arsenal was sad and protracted. Marginalised after a terrible start to the season by Manuel Alumnia, Lehmann’s departure has been inevitable for a number of months. And yet, while he is easy to caricature and scapegoat, and has been involved in a plethora of controversial incidents, one cannot deny he has been a very good ‘keeper for Arsenal. During his five years as a whole at the club, who has been his superior in the Premier League? Certainly Petr Cech and David James; and possibly Edwin van Der Sar. But that’s probably about it. Lehmann’s misdemeanors and histrionics are undeniable - but so too is his quality as a goalkeeper.

Lehmann had the near-impossible task of replacing David Seaman, such an outstanding servant of Arsenal. Overall, he certainly fared pretty well. In his first season, of course, Arsenal finished unbeaten. And yet Lehmann received scant credit, as his mistakes were dwelt upon in exhaustive detail. Every ‘keeper makes mistakes - and the nature of Lehmann means there is a tendency to overly dwell upon his - but to be in goal for every minute of their astonishing unbeaten season is testament to his quality.

Lehmann was certainly a hard man to warm to. His ludicrous insistence upon entering himself in incidents half the field away did himself a great disservice. So too did the sheer petulance of his antics, as shown in a post-whistle clash with Kevin Phillips in 2003. Action invariably came before, not after, consulting brain. The result was 13 bookings for Arsenal, including a ridiculous spell in 2007 when he received six yellow cards in just 14 appearances (one of them for Germany). Essentially, he lacked self-control on the football field and allowed the opposition to rile him far too easily. Yet these traits were not unrelated to Lehmann’s fierce desire to win.

Unfortunately, there is probably one moment that will define Lehmann’s Arsenal stay more than any other: that red card in the Champions League final, when the game was only a few seconds old. On that day his impetuosity sadly proved too much.

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It would be kinder and more just, however, to remember Lehmann in a different way. For, in that 2005/06 season, Lehmann hit glorious heights of shot-stopping brilliance. He was the man who held Arsenal’s season together with a series of match-defining contributions - and, of course, it was his 87th minute penalty save in the semi-final in Villareal that took the club to Paris.

At times, Lehmann appeared little short of impregnable, perhaps none more so than in the February 2006 game at Anfield. Arsenal were comprehensively outplayed. But Lehmann’s single-mindedness and his sheer abundant talent as a keeper combined to save Steven Gerrard’s penalty, and save Phillipe Senderos from the embarrassment of an own-goal with a spectacular finger-tip save. He then did brilliantly to parry a thunderbolt from Dietmar Hamann - but, agonisingly, Luis Garcia reacted before any team-mate to snatch victory at the last. This man of the match display, albeit in vain, showed Lehmann at his best - as a fantastic goalkeeper who fought fiercely to protect his net and had a presence in goal to rival with the very best.

Alas, for many memories of Jens will be of the mad kind: his penchant for futile confrontation, with the referee, the opposition or even supporters; and his inexplicable mistakes costing goals, in the shape of hapless flapping for the ball or brain freezes, such as against Barcelona and in the 2004 Champions League quarter-final with Chelsea. But Lehmann was a match-winner or saver on many times for Arsenal. He is best remembered for an inspired display in he 2005 FA Cup final culminating in the penalty save that gave Arsenal the cup. For all his troubles of the last 12 months, he could yet repeat the trick in these European Championships. A jester to many he may be - but Mad Jens could have the last laugh this summer.

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How should Lehmann be remembered at Arsenal?
Share your views in the comment section below.

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