Filed under: Arsenal, Premier League, Football
It looked like Jens Lehmann. It even sounded like him as the German barked orders at the young defenders in front of him.But the Lehmann who made his first Arsenal appearance for almost three years on Tuesday was clearly not the same Lehmann who had played a key role in the club's title success of 2003-04.
Lehmann was also on duty when the Gunners won the FA Cup in 2005.
Arsene Wenger has failed to secure any silverware since the German starred in that penalty shootout victory over Manchester United at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
But if Wenger was counting on the sentimental return of Lehmann to solve his well-documented goalkeeping crisis, which threatens to derail his team's title ambitions, then the Arsenal manager is sadly mistaken.
Back in May 2008 more than 60,000 turned up at the Emirates to witness a 1-0 victory over Everton, a match which marked the end of Lehmann's five-year career in north London.
Now 41, Lehmann cut a sorry sight as Arsenal reserves lost 2-1 in front of around 200 fans at Wigan.
Lehmann has been coaxed out of retirement to act as emergency cover for Manuel Almunia as Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny are injured.
But the skills which allowed Lehmann to build a highly successful career spanning more than 60 caps for Germany, as well as stints with Schalke, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and, after Arsenal, Stuttgart, appear to have deserted him, if his error-strewn performance against Wigan is anything to go by.
Lehmann might have retained his lean looks.
But his 90 minute performance against a Wigan side largely made up of teenagers did little to inspire confidence that, should Almunia get injured, Arsenal are in safe hands.
Almunia's comical error in the recent 2-2 draw with West Brom had led to suggestions that Lehmann might even start against Blackburn when Arsenal resume their title charge this weekend.
But that now seems highly unlikely after the veteran showed he is still prone to a gaffe.
Lehmann's first error was to allow a harmless back-pass to bobble over his foot before teenage striker Callum McManaman rounded him to fire the hosts into a 53rd minute lead.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/03/30/jens-lehmann-proves-he-is-well-short-of-stepping-into-arsenals/
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