Lehmann would be a brilliant appointment. He will give the players a kick up their arse.
And he is very good at his judgement of players anyway.
Changes to the Backroom and the Boardroom
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/lehmann-in-line-for-arsenal-role-dz3kzxtnq
The Times are now reporting it. Can't read the whole article because of the paywall but it does say he is being offered a role in the first team but not specifically as a goalkeeping coach. Either way, his presence around the training ground and in the changing room is something I'm very much in favour of.
Edit - Telegraph have it too, with full details:
Arsenal are finalising the highest-profile addition to their backroom team so far this summer with the appointment of their ‘Invincible’ goalkeeper Jens Lehmann as a first-team coach.
Significantly, Lehmann will be tasked with working directly alongside manager Arsene Wenger, assistant manager Steve Bould and first-team coach Boro Primorac with the club’s senior players.
Gerry Peyton will remain goalkeeping coach - a position he has had since Lehmann joined as a player in 2003 - with Lehmann himself due to take up a role across the entire squad.
...
This is his first formal coaching position, with Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis confident that just his presence will positively influence the squad and help to reinforce a stronger, winning mentality.
Absolutely fantastic. There are few former players I'd have wanted ahead of him in a role like this. He's a out and out winner and very demanding and also very opinionated. Chuffed.
Bet he either quits very soon or becomes another silent zombie under the Wenger regime.
Would be glad to see Jens joined. Even though he sometimes came across as a bit of a nut job when he played, when you hear him speak he clearly knows what he is talking about.
Coombs wrote:Anzac wrote:smoke and mirrors
Some unbelievably demented, tin-foil hat logic from Le Grove, as usual. Don't even know how you can genuinely perform the mental gymnastics it takes to get worked about about this! Egregious abuse of power? Arsenal isn't a bloody nation-state!
He should have gone, but he's stayed. That's all. There is no Arsenal Fan's Bill of Rights.
LeGrove just can't take it that despite all his blogs and tweets the Arsenal hierarchy still gave Wenger a new contract 
He talks absolute shit as well, pretty sure he talked hoping we'd do bad to force Wenger out. He dislikes Wenger more than he supports Arsenal, deluded.
Announce Burgess!
I <3 Jens.
People will look at this as embarrassing, but I reckon it was the single greatest moment of the Wenger reign.
goon wrote:I <3 Jens.
People will look at this as embarrassing, but I reckon it was the single greatest moment of the Wenger reign.
Keown has mention on TV how Jens was the strictest in training. If anyone wasn't giving 100% he was on their case straight away no matter who it was. Apparently he was on hlebs case all the time.
He used to scare Almunia
‘To have someone here who hates me is just amazing. I know he hates me.’
They eventually made up though
In his last season at Arsenal there was a team dinner for us all to say goodbye. Jens and me didn’t speak — and I mean never — but he came to me with his wife and showed me a totally different face. I thought, ‘oh my God, who is this? This is not Jens!’ We talked about life, football, Spain, Germany, everything.
interesting appointment. jens is a known feather-ruffler. doesn't seem like the type to stand for being neutered by wenger
More like a feather plucker if this is anything to go by:
They talk about Sanchez being a big player — but if you are sulking, you can’t be a big player.
“You must be a big player mentally — not just be good at dribbling.
“There’s always a question with Ozil — how much can he contribute when it gets tough?
“It’s not Mustafi’s fault someone has paid £35m for him. If someone buys me for £35m, the next day I’m not a better player.
“He is giving everything. But sometimes the team concede five, so he has to ask himself if it’s good enough?”
He said: “All these guys when they came to Arsenal were happy to join. They should not forget that.
“They can’t just turn around and say, ‘The manager is c**p — it’s his responsibility’.
“That’s not possible if you have character. They’re good players, they have character — but they need to show it!
“I haven’t seen Arsene criticise them. It’s payback.
ZzZzZzzzzZzz
Can't even understand the logic behind this. Is it supposed to be that Wenger needs to appoint his own "bad cop"?
Yeah and what would a keeper know about coaching actual footballers anyway?
Some of you might view Lehmann being around the players on the training ground and in the changing room before, during and after a game as unimportant, but I think it's because you'll see the bad in anything as long as Wenger is the guy calling the shots.
He's exactly the type of man we need more of at the club.
Delighted to have Jens back at the club!
As much as people have disapproved about Wenger staying on this summer there has definitely been a significant change towards a fair few things. LB sorted and striker announcement imminent. Working on a deal for Lemar and if that doesn't work a backup option in place in Mahrez. Going all out to sign Mbappe even though it doesn't look like we will get that done. From the sounds of things close to agreeing a deal with Ozil and Alexis looks like he will stay. Off the field as well new man to look at contracts, new fitness coach in and Jens as a new coach.
In Arsenal terms this is all unheard of, lets hope we keep our finger on the pulse as far as new players go and get in hopefully another couple players.
flobaba wrote:Bet he either quits very soon or becomes another silent zombie under the Wenger regime.
Can't see the latter happening, he's too mental to become a zombie.
Love mad Jens!
This is my favourite Lehmann moment (Wigan or Kirkland in particular had been wasting time from literally minute 1! It was a frustrating match but we finally took the lead late in the game and Lehmann decided to give them a taste of their own medicine)
I love how it completely flies over the heads of the commentators who take it at face value.
Love Jens attitude - top bloke
"I always looked up to Jens," Neuer said. "First of all he played for Schalke and I was always impressed by his way of playing and his charisma. He is an attacking goalkeeper. I used to come early to home games when I was little to watch Jens warm-up. He was quite innovative and he did exercises during warm-ups that I hadn't seen anyone else do before."
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/may/03/manuel-neuer-schalke-manchester-united
Looks like we got a new GK Coach in as well, his name is Sal Bibbo.
Nah, apparently he's been with the club for the past 18 months or so.
[Twitter]
Very surprising news. I would like to think they have interviewed lots of candidates and Per was the best choice, as opposed to a move to please fans. Regardless, I like Big Per a lot and have loads of respect for him and how he carries himself and I think he will do big things in that role once he gets his head around it all. Absolutely delighted to have him remain at the club.
You don't let someone that has won a World Cup and bought into The Arsenal in the way Per has walk out the door if you can help it.
We have finally appointed our man to lead our youth team in place of Jonker.
Inspired appointment, sad to lose him in our defence but I have no doubt he will be a real asset for our young players.
Mertesacker to become academy head in 2018, honestly this seems like a poor appointment and might be a mistake. Our academy has already gone to shit, appointing someone with zero experience is unlikely to remedy the situation.
Clrnc wrote:We have finally appointed our man to lead our youth team in place of Jonker.
Inspired appointment, sad to lose him in our defence but I have no doubt he will be a real asset for our young players.
He won't start until next season mate. He's going to spend this season still as part of the playing staff - although I doubt he'll get more than a handful of games - whilst also getting himself up to speed with the academy.
I'm delighted Per is sticking around. What is the scope of the academy head anyway?
Irish gunner wrote:Mertesacker to become academy head in 2018, honestly this seems like a poor appointment and might be a mistake. Our academy has already gone to shit, appointing someone with zero experience is unlikely to remedy the situation.
On the other hand, setting up a "technical heart" like Ajax have done mightn't be a terrible idea. We already have Bould, Lehmann and Mertesacker, just need to nab Bergkamp and maybe bring Pires/Keown/Henry back into the fold if they're up for it.
Ah missed that. That means Luke Hobbs better be capable to fill in in the mean time, otherwise we would lose a crucial year in players development.
Irish gunner wrote:Irish gunner wrote:Mertesacker to become academy head in 2018, honestly this seems like a poor appointment and might be a mistake. Our academy has already gone to shit, appointing someone with zero experience is unlikely to remedy the situation.
On the other hand, setting up a "technical heart" like Ajax have done mightn't be a terrible idea. We already have Bould, Lehmann and Mertesacker, just need to nab Bergkamp and maybe bring Pires/Keown/Henry back into the fold if they're up for it.
What is Pires' role at the club now? Is he just doing his badges? He seems to be involved in first team training quite often.
I reckon we'll see Thierry back here sooner or later, I think Vieira might have burned his bridges though, certainly while Wenger is still here.
goon wrote:Irish gunner wrote:On the other hand, setting up a "technical heart" like Ajax have done mightn't be a terrible idea. We already have Bould, Lehmann and Mertesacker, just need to nab Bergkamp and maybe bring Pires/Keown/Henry back into the fold if they're up for it.
What is Pires' role at the club now? Is he just doing his badges? He seems to be involved in first team training quite often.
I reckon we'll see Thierry back here sooner or later, I think Vieira might have burned his bridges though, certainly while Wenger is still here.
Pires is currently an ambassador for the club, which was Freddie Ljungberg's role here before he joined Wolfsburg. As ambassador he has to represent the club at events and promote our brand, he's contracted for 20 events per season. However, he does seem to be quite present in training, so he's probably assisting while gaining his badges. He's been quite vocal about wanting to become a sporting director though.
Can't see Vieira coming back, as you say he's burned his bridges and he wants to be an actual manager. Unfortunately I can't really see Henry coming back either, I don't think his ego would allow him to be in relative obscurity as a member of the backroom staff.
Irish gunner wrote:Mertesacker to become academy head in 2018, honestly this seems like a poor appointment and might be a mistake. Our academy has already gone to shit, appointing someone with zero experience is unlikely to remedy the situation.
Can't believe how amateurish we are. Joke of a club.
Our academy hasn't "gone to shit" in any way. If you're saying that it's because you don't really know what you're talking about quite frankly.
Jonker, despite the so-called dodgy track record, did a very good job of repairing the mess Brady created in his final years in charge. We really had gone to shit by the time he left.
Today we have the best facilities in the country, good coaches - although we still lag behind the big spending Chelsea and City in that regard - and our teams perform amongst the best at pretty much all levels. Most importantly, we produce talent constantly. At a rate which is as good or better than any of our rivals, including the aforementioned Chelsea and City.
We have always been at the top in terms of producing players from Hale End - players that we educate pretty much from start to finish - and in the last few years we have committed more money toward the recruitment of talent from elsewhere. Our scouting has improved dramatically and we are willing to compete with the ludicrous sums Chelsea, City and United throw at 16 year olds - which has seen us catch up quick in that regard.
Whether or not Mertersacker will prove to be a good appointment or not, we can't sit here and say. Certainly calling the club a joke because of it is something I can't take seriously. Wenger has known the guy for 5 years now, I'm sure they will have only given the job to him if he had shown them he was the right man - it's not like they would have been short of suitors.
Ricky - I think the issue is that it doesn't show up in the output - or at least hasn't yet. Maybe if Maitland Niles and Reine Adelaide and so on make an impression, that will change people's minds, but the impression at the moment is that unlike back in 2007/08, we don't have a "youth team" who can play League Cup games and win them. Maybe that's because smaller teams have caught up and become better or may be a lag effect from Brady's last few years here, but the feeling is that we have gone backwards in that respect.
To be fair with regards to the league cup, our squad is so bloated with mediocre players that don't get much playing time that we inevitably end up having to play them in the league cup games for some semblance of plahing time.
It's more because we haven't actually played youth teams. Our squad is massive now so you end up with guys like Debuchy and a few other disinterested first teamers play instead. Many of them go out on loan too.
Martinez
Holding
Chambers
Beilik
Bellerin
Bramall
AMN
Jeff
Iwobi
Nelson
Welbeast
Would be a very young and decent League cup side that could probably do quite well.
BWoolley wrote:Ricky - I think the issue is that it doesn't show up in the output - or at least hasn't yet. Maybe if Maitland Niles and Reine Adelaide and so on make an impression, that will change people's minds, but the impression at the moment is that unlike back in 2007/08, we don't have a "youth team" who can play League Cup games and win them. Maybe that's because smaller teams have caught up and become better or may be a lag effect from Brady's last few years here, but the feeling is that we have gone backwards in that respect.
The level of the 16 and 17 year olds the club are producing is on average levels and levels up from what it was producing back then. We don't see all conquering teen League Cup teams because football has got stronger from the top down to the bottom. Championship teams now sign players for £25m+ and field players from all over the world like it's nothing. And we have gotten stronger too - we have 30+ senior players as we speak, practically all of which are full blown internationals.
We've got lots of players from age 15 to 19 that are extremely talented and compare favourably with what our domestic rivals are producing. I don't know well enough the set ups of Barca, Bayern, Madrid and others to say how we compare with their academies. And I say 15 years old and up because I don't know about the younger age groups than that, but you can bet your life that we will sit right at the top domestically in those age brackets too.