Meeting up with Jens Lehmann

TotalArsenal

As Friday is often a quiet day in terms of blogging, and I don’t know anything else to write about – the pre-match report will come out tonight – I thought it would be fun to ask BK reader who they would want to meet up with for an hour and discuss our beloved Arsenal with.

Just imagine you were given an hour with a current or former Arsenal player or coach, with the exception of Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry or Arsene Wenger. Other than those three, you can choose who you like! 🙂

You decide were you meet up (take it easy Glic! 🙂 ), what you will  do and what questions you will ask.

I thought about who I would like to meet up with. Fabregas crossed my mind, but he is too young. Marc Overmars would also be interesting, as he is a fellow Dutchman, but then he has not been at the club long enough to make it an interesting meeting (and meeting up the one with the boy inside would not be a good idea at all!). Rosicky came to mind and also Pires, but in the end I settled for Jens Lehmann.

I have always found him an interesting character and as he has been between the sticks during one of the most glorious periods in our history, with a 190 cm great overview of our team in front of him for more than five years, and a full member of our Invincibles; I would love to have an in-depth discussion with the slightly enigmatic and larger than life German.

I would ask him about Arsene Wenger: what he makes of him and whether he is indeed as laissez-faire tactically as many believe (not me). I would ask him about the Invincibles: go through every single one of them and ask him why they were so special in his view. I would ask him about his highlights and his off the pitch battles with Almunia. I would want to know how he experienced the move to the new stadium, and what is like to come back in 2011 and play for us one more game.

There would be many more questions and one hour would probably not be long enough. I would hire a cabin of the London Eye and whilst looking at our beautiful capital, would ask him all  those questions, whilst drinking a couple of pints of Weiss Bier.

Yep, Jens would be  my choice, but what who would be yours and where would you meet up?

Written by: TotalArsenal.

84 thoughts on “Meeting up with Jens Lehmann”

  • On a beach in the Seychelles. With a Pina Colada in one hand and an ice cold San Miguel in the other.

    Also two 25 year old Swedish blondes waiting on us. …Bliss

  • My fingers have not woken up this morning — so to speak, and they are boss-eyed, hitting the ‘S’ rather than the ‘A’. Sorry, TA and good morning to you Mijnheer. 🙂

  • This is a good idea Total. I am waiting to see everyone’s choices, we will see some interesting selections, no doubt.. Nice one.

  • TA,

    My choice for a chat would be with Baldy Bouldy, in Florida, so I could also chat with HH, and invite you and some of my friends on BK to join us.

    Now that would be great fun!!! 😀

    Apparently, Fabianski has broken a rib and will be out for the rest of the season!

  • VCC = 47-1
    Spurs v MC……..away
    Sund v Eve……..away
    Ful v Ars…………away
    WBA v New…….home
    QPR v Stoke…..home

  • Hi all..

    TA.. I choose Robin van Persie.. hehehehe..
    Whatever you guys think about him.. I still love him..
    RvP is my third favourite striker after Van Basten and Bergkamp..

    Sorry for not contributing a lot recently.. I am very busy lately..
    Moreever yesterday my wife just gives me a lovely daughter.. hehehe..
    I name her YOONA.. her brother name is YOGIE..
    I almost named her Wilsanti.. (Wilshere – Santi Cazorla).. hahaha..
    but my wife disagreed.. hahahaha.. Maybe she afraid her baby will becoming a football player.. hehehe.. Let’s hope she will be a truly Gunners.. like his brother already did..

    @ VCC :
    I choose Arsenal, Everton and City to win away..
    And a draw for Soton and Liverpool..

    See you guys..
    We will win tomorrow.. we will..
    Go Gunners..

  • VCC, 🙂

    Sorry, I thought I had already given you my forecasts.

    NorwichvReading = Draw

    QPRvStoke = Draw

    SunderlandvEverton = Away Win

    TottenhamvMan City = Draw

    Man UtdvAston Villa = Home Win

  • Hi Henry, 🙂

    Very many congratulations to you and your wife. 😀

    You must be a proud father on the birth of your new baby daughter!! 😀

  • probably Alex Song. “Supp Alexender, how’s life on barca bench?”

    seriously, maybe Gilberto. True gentleman, world cup winner and never ever bad mouth about the club despite disrespectfully treated.

  • Henry…….Well done Sir……Congratulations to you and your wife. A perfect family, Boy and Girl.

    Much Love. XXX hehehe

  • Vics….have some of this

    Arsenal 5-0
    Wigan
    Man City
    Sunderland -Everton Draw
    Liverpool – Chelsea Draw

    Later, i shall return to let you all know how i met and fell in love with Liam Brady. hahaha

  • Hello Henry 🙂

    Many congratulations to you and your wife with the arrival of Yoona! I am sure you will make her into a Gooner. 🙂

    I will ignore your first paragraph, as I don’t want to spoil the cheer of your far more important news hahaha 🙂

  • Congrats are in order HeHe Henry! Well done!

    @ TA

    very clever idea.

    Mine would be a cross between Keown or Adams. At the end of the date…I mean meal, I’d ask if we could embrace in a manly hug, at which point I would gently weep on his shoulder because of all the memories. I’d probably get bopped in the face for it, but even if I woke up in hospital I’d do it all again!

    If I did choose Keown afterwards we would track down RA’s house and throw eggs at it! Keown would shout out “that’s for picking me up you ###### bleeper” then we’d run off down the street giggling like school girls.

  • @ TA

    haha thought the same in regard’s to Henry’s first paragraph. Henry you’re on thin ice now, we may not be able to continue out friendship…but congrats 🙂

  • Hi Oz 🙂

    Good to see you back here – you are being missed a lot!

    Excellent and interesting choice – why those two defenders together?

  • Congratulations HeHeHeHenry

    Your a top man, calling your daughter Gooner is a great idea

    I wanted to call my girls Arsene and Clockend, but was overalled so have a Charlotte and Monica instead. Women hey? hahaha

  • Cheers TA, i’ve missed being on here and writing pre-matches.

    Just my two all time favourite players. Like the players with grunt and steel. Both are legends who gave everything they had on the pitch. I think I’d get on with them like a house on fire also.

    That’s what disappoints me about Verms drop in form…he was supposed to be our next Adams!!!

  • @ Terry

    with a name like Arsene and a dad like yourself…i’d fear for her safety haha

  • Absolute beasts of CBs Oz and still missed a lot.

    I had high hopes for TV too, but then came that mistake against the Mancs when he gifted van Judas a goal in the first few minutes (and it was not his first big mistake this season). It appears to be a pivotal moment in his career. New leader vs ex-leader and traitor and the first touch of the ball means instant surrender. 😈

    Anyway, you are only allowed one player; so you have to choose hahaha 🙂

  • Oz Baby, you aint met my daughters. You should be concerned about my safety. Left jabs, right hooks, kicks to the goolies, i have had it all. Ive even been taken into care a few times. hahaha

  • the looks of Terry and the nose of Arsene…oh dear 🙂

    @ TA

    Fine I’ll go with Mr Arsenal himself! Takes a man to play as good as he did on the amount of liquor he was consuming. Couple of brews before heading onto the pitch and I’d be face down asleep on the wing.

  • @ Terry

    strangely enough seeing you lying on the kitchen floor with your wife and two daughters kicking you wouldn’t seem that out of place to me haha.

  • TA, i had no say in the naming of my daughters. Whats wrong with Arseneleta or Clockender for christs sake?

    Alright. a few thick kids would have taken the piss, but thats all carachter building.

    i knew my first marriage was doomed the day i was denied naming rights. hahaha

  • Oz, my daughters look nothing like me. They both look like there mum and strangely enough my next door neighbour. hahaha

  • so many questions in mind right now. i read some report somewhere long time ago. he was a candy factory worker and thinking about giving up Football until the world cup call-up came. would really like to ask him, what he thinks of the current spoilt brat footballers

  • @ TA

    I used to be able to in my late teens and early 20’s when you’d start drinking at midday and carry on through the night, but with a Mrs and study I think a 6 year old girl could drink me under the table now. I just have to look at Tequila and my face changes colour.

  • @ Terry

    haha probably for the best! They’ve got more of a fighting chance that way haha

  • Oz

    I agree on the Terry on the floor fighting with his daughters and wife image hahaha 🙂

    This video sums him and his life up, I reckon. See 38 seconds in: Pitbull Terrier! 😛

  • Oz….If you liked Tony Adams, you would have loved Frank McLintock. Hard as nails Scotsman. A terrific footballer and super leader/Captain.

  • @ VCC

    I’ve only seen bits of footage and from others accounts but he definitely looks/sounds like the type of footballer I admire most.

    @ TA

    hahaha definitely. I see him as a cross between that and this guy

  • As much as it would be really cool to meet any player from the invincible squad I would have to go with, and I know he is not a player, Silent Stan, First off I need a job. What would we discuss well we would discuss plans to create a share sale in which you the fans can buy a share or 2 each until the fans will own controlling shares of Arsenal FC. meet the future owners of Arsenal http://www.aisa.org
    We would then have a summer election to appoint a new director of football at AFC and all Profits will then be rolled back into the club we will devise a plan to make sponsorship deals to cover all of the Stadium debt (If Emirates want their name on Arsenal’s stadium then they can pay for it) We will bring back ex-players like Bergkamp and Henry (Bergkamp to run the Academy) Henry on coaching staff.

    Well dream over back to reality who do you think we will sell this summer? I hear Pod is on a pretty big salary and Stan might want to cash in on the OX or Wilshere and the Rosicky he is getting a bit long in the tooth for a Arsenal player NO?

  • That is quite some dream, Mike! 🙂

    I hope we keep Rosicky and Vermaelen, but I reckon at least one of them will be sold. Nobody else of the first team will leave this summer and a couple of quality players will be added. Ox and Wilshere are part of the new – yes, British – spine and will of course not be sold.

    Who would you like to join us?

  • TA, I am not sure if this was completely true. Back when I was in primary school my friends siad that Lehmann used to come to the market road astro-turf every friday (not sure why) which was 5 mins away from my school. I would have loved to have met him.

  • once met Pat Rice in the club shop couldn’t believe it! Shook his hand, lovely fella, hand felt like granite. Teased him about 79 cup final and wished him well for the remainder of the season. It turned out well we won at anfield, what a night! Happy days!

  • Thanks freinds..
    Red Arse.. VCC.. Terry.. TA.. Oz..
    Although We never meet face.. but I know you all are my good brothers.. hehe..

    TA.. thanks for the idea about pinterest.. I will try to find some.. hehe..

  • AFC,

    You asked me about Adil Rami and I said it had gone quiet. I have just noticed that a Portuguese report says that Manyoo are now rivalling us for his signature.

    Is it just me, or are Manyoo on a campaign to pinch every player we are linked with?

    As regards CBs, we were in the bidding for Smalling — Manyoo outbid us; we were in the mix for Jones — Manyoo outbid us, (altho’ Jones and perhaps Smalling, a gunner, wanted to go to Utd anyhow).

    So they ended up with Evans, Jones, Smalling, Vidic, Ferdinand.

    I think AW should keep bidding for CBs and then pulling out — Manyoo could end up with 12 CBs when red nose realises that he has been conned. 🙂

  • Henry, congrats on the new baby girl!! Nice to see you are forcing the Gunners culture down their throats; it’s the only way to make sure they grow up right ;). As VCC said, a boy and a girl make the perfect family, enjoy your time with the new family member :).

    VCC, here are my UMF predictions:

    Manure home win
    Man $hitty away win
    Arsenal away win
    Everton away win
    QPR vs. Stoke draw

    TA, great idea for a fun article on what is usually a slow day. My choice would be PV4. His charisma, brash personality, the emotion he brought to the game and the way he utterly dominated others in the center of the park leads me to believe that he would be a very interesting fella to speak with. I’d love to hear his stories from the Invincibles days, how he became the player he was, how he intimidated other players in the tunnel or of his bust-ups on the field with Roy Keane etc.

    RA, I am absolutely honoured to be included in your group of individuals you’d love to chat with :)!

  • There’s something fascinating about PV4 to me because he redefined a position and his quality and style of play has never been replicated. I’d like to meet him at the old Highbury Stadium (which is unfortunately torn down), but I’ve heard the Highbury development area is quite nice and I’d like to revisit the old stomping grounds :).

  • Also, I really enjoyed reading what AW had to say about OG. He recognized that OG was not a technical player but that he has adjusted well to the physicality of the league and has the right attitude and work ethic that leads him to believe he will improve next season. His comments, to me, reveal that he’s cognizant that OG won’t be a world beater like Henry but that he adds something different to our team in both personality and playing style.

    I particularly enjoyed when AW stated that OG takes ownership for all his mistakes and shortcomings in a match and looks to improve on those areas. Hopefully, he can continue to improve and help us to a CL berth over those dirty Spuds. Bale is back in the squad this Sunday so things should get interesting.

  • Hello BKers
    Gotta win tomorrow!
    Just popping in to leave my UMF:

    Naaarch v Reading – D
    Sunderland v Everton – H
    Swans v Saints – H
    WBA v Toon – H
    WHam v Wigan – D

  • RA, my friend told me that Phil Jones went to Man U because he said he wanted to win things.

  • RA, I cannot imagine Rami going to United. SAF would go more for Hummels. Rami could be a strong popssibilty. Wenger does love French players.

  • OK, Oz, there was a tiny flaw in my plan. Sadly, AW tried it on with Squiily but was hoist on his own petard when Fergie smelt a rat — sorry Squiddly! 🙂

  • Hi HH 🙂

    I was convinced you would go for Pires, but PV is a great choice of course, and so is the location.

    Have you got a link to Wenger’s Giroud comments?

  • TA, Pires is definitely high on my list, but PV4 redefined a position! Also, with his personality I’m sure the discussion would be scintillating and the stories he’d be able to share would leave me on the edge of my seat. So long as the blood doesn’t boil too much and he doesn’t try to beat me up though haha…

    http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/arsenal-boss-wenger-hails-extrovert-giroud-3936021#.UXFqbpVyGlY

    Those were AW’s comments on OG. He highlights his strengths being on his physical nature, work ethic and attitude. Also, he thinks there’s more to come from OG and that his finishing will improve.

    Off to lunch and to enjoy my last full day in Miami!

  • UMF waiting for

    ALEX and PPP

    odds
    GLiC = 893-1
    Gerry = 428-1
    VCC = 47-1
    Henry = 116-1
    Red Arse = 130-1
    HH = 40-1
    Rocky = 249-1
    TMHT = 167-1
    Total = 1210-1
    Oz = 40-1
    Alex = ?
    PPP = ?

  • HH, wait!

    You cannot leave Miami yet!

    What about our meet up with Bouldy, TA and the guys? Stay there until we get it sorted.
    TA will pay!!! 😀

  • RA, the beauty of living in the NA is that I can fly back down to Miami at any time ;).

  • Also, TA before I head back out, just wanted to give a quick input for your OG article. What has made me come around a bit on him is that I’ve stopped trying to imagine him as our RVP replacement. He’s his own type of striker and he’s good in his own right, but we’ve been spoiled with the likes of Henry, RVP, Bergkamp etc. in past years.

    For me, it was never about his conversion percentage/goals per shot etc., but more about the type of striker he was and how I enjoy a more mobile, technical player up front (a la Henry, RVP, Bergkamp, Eduardo etc.). I think if we can view OG in his own light and value what he does bring to the table in physicality, aerial ability, work ethic and attitude, and not as a RVP replacement, we’d all come to appreciate him more!

    Just my 2 cents, not sure what it’s worth these days :).

  • Evening Jizzgarglingesquers 😆

    Nice one Totes.

    As from a previous comment, I had already met Giruod down in Miami the other day and after giving him the medical all clear to go boating, he told me that the Arsenal players did a similar thing of which Gooner supporter they would like to meet !. Dr Glic came top of the list !. Do not be surprised to read a ” Dr Glic Agony Aunt Special ” in the future concerning an Arsenal employee, obviously Dr / Patient confidentiality applies !.
    As for me, I haven`t thought of a choice yet, although it would probably be a former player I disliked, so I could take some chloroform and quick drying cement along !.

    Congratulations henrychan on the birth of Yoona the Gooner !. 😀

  • I’d love to chat with Herbert Chapman and see what he thinks about today’s Football environment compared to the 1930’s…that would be a memorable experience. Maybe someday I will actually do that….God willing!!!

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