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Jens Lehmann On Arsenal's Transfer Decisions by AH

Former Arsenal Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has spoken out on Arsenal's transfer decisions and especially the Robin Van Persie situation that lasted for most of the summer transfer window.

The times have changed for Arsenal since Lehmann was in the team, and another thing that has changed in football is the money.

Former Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann believes the German duo can shine for Arsenal.by AM

Lukas Podolski joined Per Mertesacker at Arsenal this season after signing from German side Koln. Both the German internationals have had massive impacts at Arsenal so far this season. Mertesacker initially got into the team after Koscielny was injured but has not looked back since.

The young Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is already acting like an Arsenal legend, and is hoping that he can inspire the Arsenal youths coming through, just as he was inspired by Jens Lehmann and Thierry Henry. He told Arsenal.com: "I think what really made me motivated was seeing all the superstars around the training ground," [.

The Arsenal former legend Jens Lehmann sent out a warning to Arsenal's new signing Lukas Podolski, saying that the German will have to adapt with the Premiership pace and learn how to win if he wants to be successful at Arsenal. According to the German goalkeeper who made history with Arsenal, Podolski might not know [.

Arsenal are set to offer club legend Thierry Henry a two-month loan deal but is coach Arsene Wenger right to resign the French striker? There can be no doubt that Thierry Henry is Arsenal's greatest ever forward and having been voted as the Premier League's best ever foreign import in a SKY One poll – [.

A horror show from Arsenal goalkeepers Vito Mannone and Łukasz Fabiański condemned Arsenal to a 3-1 defeat to Olympiakos and proved once again that Arsene Wenger must sort out the team's goalkeeping problems. Unbelievably bad, pitiful and far from reliable. How else can one describe the current crop of Arsenal goalkeepers currently vying for Wojciech [.

Arsenal 2004/05

GK Lehmann
RB Lauren
CB Campbell
CB Toure
LB Cole

RM Ljungberg
CM Veira
CM Gilberto
LM Pires

CF Bergkamp
CF Henry

Arsenal 2011

GK Szczesny
RB Jenkison
CB Koscielny
CB Djourou
LB Traore

LMAshavin
CM Rosicky
CM Ramsey
CM Coquelin
RM Walcott

CF Van Persie

Arsenal 2004/05

GK Lehmann
RB Lauren
CB Campbell
CB Toure
LB Cole

RM Ljungberg
CM Veira
CM Gilberto
LM Pires

CF Bergkamp
CF Henry

Arsenal 2011

GK Szczesny
RB Jenkison
CB Koscielny
CB Djourou
LB Traore

LMAshavin
CM Rosicky
CM Ramsey
CM Coquelin
RM Walcott

CF Van Persie

Every year I write a preview of the season and this year will no different. Given the circumstances and the timing, however, I feel I should stress this is based entirely on where we are now. Not where we might be, or indeed hope to be, in a few weeks time.

So, without further ado, let's start where we always do, with:

GOALKEEPERS

Last year's verdict: Arsenal need a new goalkeeper.

One word: Impressive. As the saying goes, you do not get a second chance to make a first impression, and as this one goes by, it was impressive stuff. The £10million signing from French champions Lille was the star of the show as the Gunners overcame FC Cologne 2-0 in a pre-season friendly. Despite sporting [.

Lineups are in:

Fulham: Starters: Schwarzer, Hangeland, Sidwell, Johnston, Murphy, Senderos, Hughes, Dempsey, Zamora, Greening, Briggs Bench: Stockdale, Salcido, Gera, Etuhu, Gudjohnson, Kakuta, Davies

Arsenal: Starters: Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Diaby, Wilshere, Ramsey, Nasri, Van Persie, Chamakh Bench: Lehmann, Walcott, Denilson, Squillaci, Arshavin, Eboue, Miquel

Last game of the season.

Lineups are in:

Bolton: Starters: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Lee, Elmander, Muamba, Taylor, Sturridge, K. Davies Bench: Bogdan, Petrov, M. Davies, Klasnic, Moreno, Cohen, Wheater

Arsenal: Starters: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy, Walcott, Nasri, Fabregas, Song, Wilshere, Van Persie Bench: Lehmann, Ramsey, Squillaci, Arshavin, Gibbs, Eboue, Chamakh

Come on Arsenal!

Lineups are in:

Tottenham: Starters: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto, van der Vaart, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale, Crouch, Pavlyuchenko Bench: Cudicini, Kaboul, Bassong, Lennon, Sandro, Pienaar, Defoe

Arsenal: Starters: Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Song, Diaby, Walcott, Cesc, Nasri, RVP Bench: Lehmann, Gibbs, Squillaci, Wilshere, Arshavin, Ramsey, Bendtner

Do I need to say anything about this one?

Wojciech Szczesny has demonstrated that he has the talent to be a great #1 keeper for years. What he – and every other keeper at Arsenal presently (except, perhaps, Lehmann) – lacks is the ability ...

Lineups are in:

Arsenal: Starters: Szczesny, Eboue, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy, Diaby, Wilshere, Walcott, Fabregas, Nasri, Van Persie Bench: Lehmann, Gibbs, Squillaci, Arshavin, Song, Chamakh, Bendtner

Liverpool: Starters: Reina, Aurelio, Flanagan, Carra, Skrtel, Spearing, Lucas, Meireles, Kuyt, Suarez, Carroll Bench: Gulacsi, Robinson, Kyrgiakos, Shelvey, Cole, Maxi, Ngog

No real shockers in our team Sagna was not able to pass his fitness test, so Eboue comes into the lineup, and Song is apparently not well enough to play, so Diaby comes back into the team after a very good performance last weekend.

11am ET, live in the US on FSC

Last four head-to-head:
1-1 (h) 08.15.10
0-1 Arsenal (a) 02.10.10
1-2 Arsenal (h) 12.13.09
1-2 Arsenal (a; Carling Cup) 10.28.09

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 3-0 City (h); 1-2 West Brom (a); 2-0 Sunderland (a)
Arsenal: 3-1 Blackpool (a); 0-0 Blackburn (h); 2-2 West Brom (a)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Kuyt 9; Meireles 5; Gerrard 4; Maxi 3; Carroll, Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Ngog, Skrtel, Suarez 2; Cole 1
Arsenal: van Persie 12; Nasri 9; Chamakh, Walcott 7; Arshavin 6; Song 4; Fabregas 3; Bendtner, Diaby, Koscielny 2; Djourou, Eboue, Sagna, Squillaci, Vela, Wilshere 1

Referee: Andre Marriner

Guess at a line-up:
Reina
Flanagan Carragher Skrtel Aurelio
Kuyt Lucas Spearing Meireles
Suarez Carroll

As long as Johnson and Kelly are injured, it's hard to see anything other than the lineup we saw against City.

Written by Harry

As the sun shone all over Bloomfield, Arsene's battle weary troops took to the field with Lehmann starting his 200th game for the gunners.......No mean feat, apart from the fact his 199th was 3 years ago!! Manuel was injured in the warm up.......I think I heard that Eboue had tied his bootlaces together.

Lineups are in:

Blackpool: Starters: Kingson, Baptiste, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey, Southern, Adam, Varney, Taylor-Fletcher, Campbell, Puncheon Bench: Rachubka, Eardley, Omerod, Philips, Kornilenko, Reid, Beattie

Arsenal: Starters: Almunia Lehmann, Clichy, Squillaci, Koscielny, Eboue, Diaby, Wilshere, Fabregas, Arshavin, Nasri, RvP Bench: Lehmann, Rosicky, Walcott, Ramsey, Gibbs, Chamakh, Bendtner

No real surprises in the starting lineup.

Arsene Wenger had his pre-Blackpool press conference today. It looks like most of the journalists are saving post-match comments that they got for the papers tomorrow, but it seems like we will have a lot of big quotes to chew over. I watched the presser "as live" on ATVO, so I'll try to sum up what we do know for now.

Lineups are in:

Arsenal: Starters: Almunia, Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy, Song, Wilshere, Arshavin, Nasri, Walcott, Van Persie Bench: Lehmann, Diaby, Fabregas, Rosicky, Eboue, Chamakh, Bendtner

Blackburn: Starters: Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Olsson, Emerton Jermaine Jones, Phil Jones, Nzonzi, Hoilett, Santa CruzBench: Bunn, Dunn, Rochina, Mwaruwari, Roberts, Hanley, Diouf

The big news for us is that both van Persie and Bendtner are fit, van Persie fit enough to start, apparently.

Since Jens Lehmanns (first) departure from us the position of goalkeeper at Arsenal has been a source of amusement for supporters of other clubs.

I, like many other Gooners, didn't find it funny.

In fact I'd rather have stuck pins in my eyes and pull out the hairs from my eyebrows one-by-one with chopsticks made of wasps than laugh along.

Der erste Teil dieser Werbung ist schon eine interessante Angelegenheit, aber die zweite ist noch besser. Parade Neuer, Ecke Netzer, Götze Latte, Flanke Okocha und was kommt dann? Klar, Tor durch Lehmann! Wieder klasse gemacht, wieder schön zusammengeschnitten und wieder ist das ein Video, was fast von selbst durchs Netz wandert.

It strikes me, in these dark times, that the one thing that will keep us all sane is a well thought out list of our possible ins and outs this summer.

So, with all the correct implements calculator, Rothmans football book, Shoot annuals 1978-1985, a tattered copy of the Roy of the Rovers when Roy loses his leg, four bananas, a large pot of coffee, two mobile phones (naturally) and an opium pipe that would have Sherlock Holmes keening with envy here is the definitive Arsenal transfer list for 2011-12.

Van der Sar, Fabio, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Anderson, Park, Rooney, Hernandez.

Bench: Kuszczak, Owen, Berba, Smalling, O'Shea, Rafael, Valencia

Cesc Fabreas was injured during training yesterday.

Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy, Song, Wilshere, Walcott, Ramsey, Nasri, Van Persie.