JENS LEHMANN has torn into Arsenal after their ‘unacceptable’ start to the season in a stinging attack on the board, manager and underperforming players.
The German club icon, now 51, was a near-ever-present during his five years in North London.
Jens Lehmann has launched a withering attack on struggling ArsenalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Arsenal currently sit 15th in the Premier League after their horror start to 2020-21Credit: AFP
Lehmann helped the club win the Premier League during their 2003-04 Invincibles campaign, before adding the FA Cup to his trophy cabinet a year later.
But the 61-cap former Germany international has been forced to watch his old club struggle in recent years, still without a Premier League title since he was at the club.
And now Lehmann has ripped into Arsenal’s current flops with the team languishing in 15th in the Premier League after a horror start to 2020-21.
Lehmann told Sportsmail: ‘The position right now is the worst in decades.
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“For a club like Arsenal that is not acceptable.
“All of us old players would try to help and make the Arsenal brand strong and big.
“We are very disappointed because the brand name is deteriorating.
“You simply cannot let that happen.”
Lehmann helped Arsenal’s Invincibles win the 2003-04 Premier League titleCredit: AFP – Getty
Lehmann continued by saying the blame can’t solely lie at the feet of Mikel Arteta, with the board also playing a role in the club’s recent demise.
The German continued: “It is a bit of a mixture… the board has to make the right decisions, the manager has to make the right decisions by signing players and coaching them.
“The players are in a fantastic environment, they are in London at one of the most traditional clubs.
“It seems that some of them are still having problems to cope with the pressure because everybody expects them to win something.
“But we are not even talking about winning anymore when you speak of Arsenal.
“There are a lot of problems.”
Lehmann believes Arsenal’s revolving door of managers hasn’t helped either, with inconsistency off the pitch filtering down onto it.
Arsene Wenger was in charge at Highbury and the Emirates for 22 years.
Since leaving in 2018, Arsenal have seen Unai Emery come and go, with Freddie Ljungberg taking over as interim boss before Arteta was given his first shot as a manager.
Lehmann concluded: “Wenger teamed together with David Dein for a long time.
“There was huge consistency, and financial consistency. The spine of the team and of the club, that has gone now.
“But look at Manchester United after Sir Alex has left. It is the same problem there, and football has moved on.
“It is always the same. If you work for a big club like Arsenal, and you don’t fulfil ambitions, then you have to accept to be replaced.”
Arsenal will look to get back on track this weekend, when they host Burnley in Sunday’s 7.15pm kick-off.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
