[thisislondon]莱曼：我不是最好的 [复制链接]

Jens admits: I'm not the top man

By Steve Stammers and Adrian Warner, Evening Standard 15 December 2004

Jens Lehmann admitted today he no longer expects to be Arsenal's first choice goalkeeper but hinted he was happy to stay at Highbury and fight for his place.

Although his international future with Germany has been placed in jeopardy by Arsene Wenger's decision to replace him with Spaniard Manuel Almunia, Lehmann says he is happy in London.

He said: "I like living and being in London. I knew from the start that in joining such a big club I might be on the bench at some point. As for the match at Portsmouth on Sunday, we will see.

"There are only three possibilities to my future. Either I am going to play pretty soon, in the near future or never again. I am a professional. At the moment I am expecting not to play. I have to accept the decision and live with it."

Despite doubts over his confidence and ability in dealing with crosses, Almunia has played ahead of Lehmann in Arsenal's last four matches.

Being dropped has reignited the row over who should play in goal for Germany as Jurgen Klinsmann's team prepare for a tour of the Far East, starting against Japan tomorrow.

His rivalry with Oliver Kahn has been one of the biggest headaches for Klinsmann, who is set to call Wenger to quiz the Arsenal boss on why Lehmann has been sidelined.

Klinsmann's assistant Oliver Bierhoff said: "There have been too many games that Jens has not been allowed to play."

But, while his relationship with Kahn may not have improved, Lehmann made it clear today that there is no rift with Almunia.

"He is a nice guy and we get on well," he said. "But we never speak very much with each other. He could not speak English when he arrived and he is still learning. And I don't speak Spanish."