By Myles Palmer
I HAVE a feeling in my bones that Senderos will be a top centreback.
And I have the same feeling about Lehmann, the German keeper Arsene has just signed from Dortmund.
OK, it’s somewhat irrational and irresponsible to say that you think an 18-year old defender will make it, if you haven’t seen him play.
And I haven’t seen Senderos play.
I just have that feeling in my bones. I have it occasionally and I have it now.
JENS LEHMANN is tall,brave and experienced.
He has that rangy,craggy, indestructible quality that many German keepers seem to have.
He is 33 and has only been able to win 16 caps during the Oliver Kahn era.
Since I have been Seaman’s biggest critic since 1996, I’m delighted that Arsenal have now replaced the celebrity who signed autographs as “Safehands” and who went to sign Princess Diana’s book of condolences.
Back in November or Decembler I remember talking to ANR partner Ian Grant about Seaman and recalling that I had said in the summer of 2000,”Youll never win the European Cup with Dave Seaman in goal”
Ian reckoned I had said that when Arsenal were playing at Wembley.
But we couldn’t remember whether I had said it on ANR.
BASICALLY, I LOVE KEEPERS WHO COME FOR BALLS-and get them or put the opponent off.
I’m convinced that Lehmann will make a big difference to Arsenal.
Top German clubs have had a lot of impressive keepers, back as far as Jean-Marie Pfaff at Bayern Munich, a fantastic goalkeeper.
He wasn’t German, of course. He was Belgian.
I vividly remember watching Germany train on the Friday night before the last game at the old Wembley in October 2000.
I was standing behind the goal during shooting practice, paying close attention because shots that miss the goal can hurt you.
Kahn and then Lehmann were making saves.
A ball came bouncing towards me and I caught it.
A German coach came towards me and I threw the ball back to him.
He was wearing gloves and grinning.
His craggy,wrinkled face looked familiar.
I realised it was Sepp Maier, the great Bayern and Germany World Cup winner from the Seventies.
Maier was coaching Kahn and Lehmann, which made sense.
Only a great goalkeeper really knows what it takes to be a great goalkeeper.
It’s a very hard job, a lonely job, a position of huge responsibility.
Not many people can be world class keepers for a decade.
It takes special characters and I think Lehmann is one of those special characters.
So I can’t wait to see Jan Lehmann because I think he will be as good as Cudicini,Dudek and Given.
Man United at Cardiff?
He can’t wait. I bet Lehmann can’t wait for that game.
Lehmann did well in the Dortmund game at Highbury last September.
He had no chance with the Bergkamp shot that deflected off Metzelder and went in the corner. Nobody could have saved that ball.
And Dortmund were a strong,technical, highly-organised side, even without Rosicky and Amoroso.
If that deflection has not gone in after 60 minutes, it might have finished 0-0.
I fancied Lehmann then, and wondered, not for the first time, why Arsenal did not sign a German keeper, especially since Arsene speaks German.
So I reckon things are looking pretty good on this Monday morning.
I reckon Vieira will come back and sign a new contract and play like the giant gladiator we know him to be.
At the AGM on September 23 the board will announce that the £260 million loan is in place from four banks, and Arsenal will press ahead with Ashburton Grove.
And there are still a few days between now and August 7th Champions League deadline.
So a player or two could still be sold.
28th July 2003.