Blackburn 1-1 Arsenal: Handbags and Lehmann have to go
Scrappy game and one which Arsenal looked to have in the bag before Lehmann gifted Blackburn and Dunn a goal and after that it all went pear-shaped, with Arsenal and Blackburn players preferring to clash off the ball than let their skills do the talking.
van Persie, Pedersen, Fabregas, Savage, Nelson and Flamini were in the thick of it and while it is always unfortunate to see players’ tempers boiling over, luckily things stayed calm (I figure that Nelson’s sending off had a lot to do with that).
In the end, Blackburn’s last-ditch defending and Arsenal’s inability to break them down meant that both sides went away with a point - but while Blackburn fans can feel quietly satisfied and perhaps a bit disappointed, Arsenal fans will be furious.
Previously when Jens Lehmann made that mistake against Fulham, we chalked it off to early-season jitters - at that time I was about to put up a post saying that he was past his prime and that he would decline this season but I thought I should wait and see.
Well, I don’t think there’s much waiting to be done in these cases. While Lehmann shouldn’t be permanently dropped I think it’s a good idea, during the course of the season, to give Almunia and Fabianski games and see which one of them is suited to taking over from Lehmann.
With older players it’s very hard to know when they are deteriorating and when they’re just having a bad patch of form - Lehmann’s mistake today (see Blackburn goal here) was a case of a loss of concentration (yes, the ball was wet and slippery but as a keeper of a club that wants to win the Premiership and the Champions League you are bloody well expected to deal with it) and I fear that he’ll have a few more of those during the season.
As for the handbags? I think Wiley had it mostly under control but really, this sort of thing has to be sorted out from the start. And while we’re at it, some credit must go to the referees who have to deal with very difficult situations especially as only their mistakes get noticed, they never get any credit for things they do right.
Overall, a bit relieved that Arsenal dropped 2 points but they are still moving up the table as opposed to Manchester United who are going down it. Blackburn - they’ll be happy to see McCarthy get some time on the pitch and as long as Hughes can keep Pedersen and Bentley at the club, they are good candidates for that top 10 spot.
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said it for ages, Jens needs to be replaced, Almunia settles the defence, Fabianski has now arrived, they have to be better, Spunkie played on too long and now so to is Jens…. Come on Arsene, get rid of him!!!!
otherwise, well fought point, again kicked, kicked and kicked,
kepp going boys
for me i think he has to go.he has done worst things in this club wenger should tried the other goalkeepers and see there ability.
Wiley is a ref that allows games to get physical. Arsenal need a referee that applies the laws or teams will wind them up.
Lehmann - two games, two blunders. Get out now.
yes, i agree jens has become old, but i don’t think he should be kicked out just yet- we have seen him doing amazing things as arsenal goalie, and he was preferred over Kahn for the world cup…..
probably just give him some time off, and bring on almunia.
We have to petition Wenger now to kindly let Lehman help the othr keepers and the team at training. The only reason to have Lehman at the Premier arena would be when he helps the team.
He is old and if Wenger talks of “it is a young team” as an excuse whenever he feels and yet the the “mistakes of youngness” are caused by a 38 year old then he (Wenger) has lost it.
It is reported elsewhere that he wont blame Jens. Who will he blame? Scores of the players including Gallas, Sagna, Cesc, Walcott and Persie almost broke their legs in the match only to be sold out cheap by Lehman.
If we have decided to bite te bullet (and I support Wenger in it) to throw in a young squad this season then let Lehman go for his age and let Fabianski or whoever make the blunders he is making - at least we will have an excuse of “it is a young team” to make and save face.
WE HAVE TO PETITION WENGER ON LEHMAN - he caused us the Champions League 2yrs ago!
yea lehmann its time to go
new arsenal goalkeeper coach - jens lehmann
give almunia or new boy fab a start
almunia looks good during preseason
Agree, dont drop him, he still has his bright days, but the no.1 spot should be taken off him. He cost us two points……
Ok, hes made 2 mistakes in 2 games.But this is just the same as him making one at the start and one at the end of a season.If he doesnt make any more mistakes thats ok, But if he does i think he should be dropped (for Almunia).Almunia is a very capable keeper but he tends to concede at his near post far to often.I think Wenger should give Lehmann another chance and also i think Fabianski is a great signing he just need some experience (carling cup) and he’ll be ready to go in the premiership
HEY Soulman Nyandiek, I seem to remember that it was Lehmann who got Arsenal to there….If it wasnt for his penalty save we might not have even got to the final.Plus the saves he made against Real Madrid, Juventus ect.
There shouldnt be any more room for this sort of incosistency, we have already had this before with jens. And he spent a portion of the time 2nd to almunia, to then he come back and was immense. I think he has had his one chance and now we really need to look to replace him. We need a top keeper, i dont even think almunia is capable to be a leading keeper in the premiership. I would have loved to have seen craig gordon but think we need to look outside of uk now. Akinfeev is a great choice and is also young with champ league experience.
yeh its time for him to be dropped but almunia only has some good days and mostly bad and the new boy fab as keston put it we dont now much about so i think top transfer target should be a well known and world class goalkeeper maybe the potuguesise ricardo or the italian buffon
It’s a shame because Lehmann has been a good keeper, but how many more games will he throw away? We have Almunia who can step in at any time but I would also be interested to see how Fabianski would get on in the first team? Come on you Gunners!!