The Crushinator

Hi all! This is the first time i've posted so i hope it doesnt sound too stupid...

Being an Australian im sort of a second hand soccer fan, (AFL's our first code of football). Soccer's not massive here like it is in Europe and South America obviously, but we do get a fair bit of coverage of the European Leagues and i do really enjoy it. What really irritates me though is the egotistical behaviour of quite a few of the players in Europe. I've been reading about how recently Jens Lehmann has said that he deserves to be in Arsenal's starting 11 instead of Almunia, but also that he didn't think Almunia could handle the pressure!!!. In Australian Football, if any player came out publically putting down a team mate like that they would be savaged by the press, the public, their club and their team mates!! It doesnt seem like there's much loyalty in football (maybe except for Drogba hehe...) but some of the things i hear astound me. Like players talking publically about playing for another club while they're still under contract. Soccer's a great sport, but Lehmann's behaviour would be totally unacceptable to an Australian football fan. He just sounds like a sore loser and ought to be banished from the side altogether. I do think there's quite a big cultural difference between how we play football in Aus. and how its done in the rest of the world...I dunno... What do people think? Is there any room for chivalry in football? not only between opponents but with your own teammates?? Or is it just every man for himself?

Asmodeus

Mad Jens is out there on his own really. Actually so is Oliver Kahn.

josh_b

Mad Jens provides hours of humour for us Arsenal fans. Well worth it tbh.

Rocky Rockstar

paragraphs mate paragraphs....

anyhoo i do find it quite amusing how Lehmann tries to make out that its Arsenal thats "humiliating" him. Erm no mate its you making such basic fundamental errors that would see a 9 year old from from his junior league team thats humiliating you ffs.

msteuk

It's not as if that sort of behaviour is commonplace in the UK. And it's hardly done Lehmann any good, being dropped from the entire squad for instance.

Shergar

Jens a ledge!

It should never be forgotten just how hard Arsenal found it to replace Seaman then he popped up and has been the best thing since!

Matt Cavanagh

he's known as mad jens for a reason.

and drogba is king

Asmodeus

insert obligatory link of Jens/Drogba panto here

The Crushinator

Cool. I read an interview where Almunia was asked about Jens' comments and he took it pretty well really. I'd be fuming...

Scatter

challenges reina for the mantle of most over-rated keeper in the league tbh.

always has been stupidly over-rated as well. far too likely to do something hilariously poor as he was to pull off any sort of match winning save.