I’m an Arsenal Invincible who argued with Thierry Henry and tried to psyche out teammate
Jens Lehmann has revealed he ‘always’ argued with his Arsenal teammates despite their incredible success on the pitch. The former goalkeeper was a member of the Gunners’ Invincibles squad during the 2003/04 season. Lehmann ‘always argued’ with Thierry Henry during Arsenal training, the German claimsGetty The pair were both part of Arsenal’s Invincibles during the 2003/04 seasonGetty Under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal secured the Premier League title without losing a match as part of their record 49-game unbeaten run. However, their success was not without friction between the players, Lehmann has now revealed. As well as later clashing with his fellow keeper Manuel Almunia, the German would also berate Thierry Henry in training. Speaking to Drive, Lehmann discussed his relationships with his teammates in North London. Asked if he was friends with Almunia, he explained: “Of course not because he was the one who took my place. “So I needed to regain that place. But I always had very difficult relationships with my teammates on the pitch. “For example, I was always arguing with Thierry in training because I said to him, ‘run run run’ or with some other guys because in training it was about winning already. “So you can imagine the relationship wasn’t always the best one, not with Manuel but off the pitch it’s a different story. And I told him that off the pitch I really liked him. Very nice guy. “And he was surprised because he was quite young and inexperienced and he thought I hated him but I didn’t. I just wanted to play and I made everything that I could play again. “So because I was the older one and more experienced, sometimes I psyched him a little bit. It wasn’t fair but sometimes it happens in football. Lehmann was not friends with Almunia whilst they were teammatesGetty The German says he did like Almunia as a person despite losing his place to himGetty “When you had a competitor you did your best to play and not him. It’s either me or him in football. That went for Manuel as well. “He was a fantastic goalkeeper. I liked him a lot. I told him and since then we are on good terms.” Almunia was brought on in Arsenal’s Champions League final loss to Barcelona in 2006 after Lehmann was sent off. The Spaniard would go on to displace him as Wenger’s first-choice keeper during the 2007/08 season. Lehmann made just seven league appearances during the campaign before leaving for Stuttgart in his homeland in the summer. His departure ended his initial five-year spell with the Gunners, before returning for the final three months of his career in 2011. As for Henry, he and Lehmann made 145 appearances together for the club. The stopper even provided an assist for Henry in a home win over Watford in 2006. Together, the pair played key roles in both the Invincibles season and the following year’s FA Cup triumph. Lehmann”s Arsenal trophy haul also includes the Community Shield, which he won in between the league title and cup successes.
Jens Lehmann has revealed he ‘always’ argued with his Arsenal teammates despite their incredible success on the pitch.
The former goalkeeper was a member of the Gunners’ Invincibles squad during the 2003/04 season.
Under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal secured the Premier League title without losing a match as part of their record 49-game unbeaten run.
However, their success was not without friction between the players, Lehmann has now revealed.
As well as later clashing with his fellow keeper Manuel Almunia, the German would also berate Thierry Henry in training.
Speaking to Drive, Lehmann discussed his relationships with his teammates in North London.
Asked if he was friends with Almunia, he explained: “Of course not because he was the one who took my place.
“So I needed to regain that place. But I always had very difficult relationships with my teammates on the pitch.
“For example, I was always arguing with Thierry in training because I said to him, ‘run run run’ or with some other guys because in training it was about winning already.
“So you can imagine the relationship wasn’t always the best one, not with Manuel but off the pitch it’s a different story. And I told him that off the pitch I really liked him. Very nice guy.
“And he was surprised because he was quite young and inexperienced and he thought I hated him but I didn’t. I just wanted to play and I made everything that I could play again.
“So because I was the older one and more experienced, sometimes I psyched him a little bit. It wasn’t fair but sometimes it happens in football.
“When you had a competitor you did your best to play and not him. It’s either me or him in football. That went for Manuel as well.
“He was a fantastic goalkeeper. I liked him a lot. I told him and since then we are on good terms.”
Almunia was brought on in Arsenal’s Champions League final loss to Barcelona in 2006 after Lehmann was sent off.
The Spaniard would go on to displace him as Wenger’s first-choice keeper during the 2007/08 season.
Lehmann made just seven league appearances during the campaign before leaving for Stuttgart in his homeland in the summer.
His departure ended his initial five-year spell with the Gunners, before returning for the final three months of his career in 2011.
As for Henry, he and Lehmann made 145 appearances together for the club.
The stopper even provided an assist for Henry in a home win over Watford in 2006.
Together, the pair played key roles in both the Invincibles season and the following year’s FA Cup triumph.
Lehmann”s Arsenal trophy haul also includes the Community Shield, which he won in between the league title and cup successes.
