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UEFA EURO 2008: Lehmann believes experience will tell

by Steffen Potter from Frankfurt

/noticias.info/ Jens Lehmann hopes there is "still a chance" to reclaim No1 status at Arsenal FC before UEFA EURO 2008™ to silence concerns about his position with Germany.

Kahn duel
Now 38, the towering goalkeeper may have thought he had won the toughest duel of his career when he edged out Oliver Kahn to become first-choice goalkeeper for Germany's 2006 FIFA World Cup finals campaign, but tougher times may be ahead should he fail to dislodge Manuel Almunia from his position as Arsenal's custodian of choice before the end of the season.

Early mistakes
With Hannover 96's Robert Enke lacking experience and Timo Hildebrand in the midst of an error-strewn spell at Valencia CF, Lehmann faces a lot less competition for the No1 shirt than he did prior to Kahn's international retirement. Yet his credentials have been called into question since a couple of errors at the start of the campaign saw Arsène Wenger drop him in favour of Spaniard Almunia.

'This is a problem'
A similar situation occurred in 2004/05, only for Almunia to allow Lehmann back into the starting lineup with some high-profile blunders of his own. However, this time the 30-year-old has not put a foot wrong, prompting concern in Lehmann's homeland. "In the past it would have been unthinkable for a Germany goalkeeper to be second choice at his club," said Lehmann's former adversary Kahn. "This is a problem and Jens knows that. This is really dangerous."

Unfounded rumours
Rumours of a winter move to BV Borussia Dortmund for Lehmann proved to be unfounded, and the keeper is determined to stay in London. "I like the club, I like how we play, I like the fans and the team and I feel I can still win something with Arsenal," he said. "Why should I give up? There is still a chance of becoming No1 again. At this stage of the season the pressure is increasing and I know that experience will be very important later on."

Match practice
For the moment, Lehmann's place in the national team seems assured. Coach Joachim Löw said: "Although he has not played regularly at Arsenal, he has performed well with the national team." Captain Michael Ballack added: "I think that Jens is by far the best goalkeeper we have at the moment. I know he is looking forward to the EURO finals." Such enthusiasm is priceless, but without match practice, German fans will continue to worry about Lehmann's role. notas_de_prensa_archivo