Jens Lehmann has taken to social media to thank the Arsenal fans after it was announced that he’ll be leaving the club’s coaching staff after just one year.
After two stints as a Gunner during his playing career, the former Germany international joined Arsene Wenger’s set-up last summer as an assistant coach; a position that saw him play an active role in training sessions but a more passive one on matchdays.
A former Invincible, it was hoped that some of Lehmann’s trademarked grit and determination would rub off on the first team. Rob Holding seemed impressed, but it hasn’t worked out and with Unai Emery’s arrival signalling a huge purge of personnel at London Colney, the 48-year-old is a notable victim.
He’s clearly irked by the situation. Far from a prolific presence on Twitter, he took straight to the social media platform after the club confirmed his exit.
He wrote: “Dear #Arsenal Fans, I am sorry to leave the club after only one year again. It was a good experience working with the players as one of the assistant-coaches. But the attitude from our 2004-group is not needed there anymore.”
Dear #Arsenal Fans , I am sorry to leave the club after only one year again. It was a good experience working with the players as one of the assistant-coaches. But the attitude from our 2004-group is not needed there anymore.
— Jens Lehmann (@jenslehmann) June 19, 2018
Given that Freddie Ljungberg, a fellow Invincible, has just been hired to look after the under-23s, it appears the ‘attitude of the 2004 group’ is still wanted by the club. Perhaps after a year of working with him, Ivan Gazidis, in consultation with Unai Emery, decided that Jens isn’t the right fit for the club’s new direction.
We may never know the real reasons for his departure. It’s a shame though, we were very excited when Jens re-joined the club. We wish him all the best for the future, he’s an intelligent guy who’ll no doubt end up managing somewhere soon.
Full details of Arsenal’s new coaching staff and other notable exits can be found here.
Tough to tell if he actually is annoyed or just him coming across very direct. We all know Jens talks straight to the point. The tweet wasn’t too angry as some people believe.
Brutal honesty from Mad Jens it seems like. While that is refreshing and enthralling for us fans, it seems a whole lot like it wouldn’t sit right with “management” as such.
We’re making actual decisions, rather than sitting around thinking about possibly maybe? Making some decisions.
If you don’t know what you want? You usually end up with a lot that you don’t want.
We all know Jens has a… spiky personality, which is part of what makes him great. I still don’t like the implied insult in that tweet. This is football, many people are moved on before they think they ought to be. Especially in a time where turnover and (hopefully controlled) chaos at our club is a given, it would have been nice to see him show a little more professionalism.
What a magic
You’d sound smarter if you spelled smart right 🙂
Sarcasm- the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
https://news.arseblog.com/2016/06/jens-lehmann-what-a-magic/
Only room for one very angry man at the club at a time, I suppose.
Would be nice if Petr Cech takes over eventually. Can see him mentoring Leno and other academy GK’s.
Takes over as what? Jens was not a goalkeeping coach so there is no reason to think he was mentoring GK’s
Speaking of 2004, don’t forget Pires! Even if he was told to leave, he wouldn’t!
Someone has to lock up at night…
Pretty sure Bobby lives at the club
Thats the magic, don’t get an official role and just turn up from time to time and you wont be kept away haha
Welp,if thats the case looks like no tony adams,stew robson et al as a coaching staff anytime soon either.tears.
let’s not forget how AW got rid of most of 2004 team in about 2 years-time, almost to no complaint from anyone. but now the club is supposed to hire every other player just because he was a part of the said invincibles.
such players stood and watched while their club steadily declined to rightfully became a Europa league contender, and still defended AW at his job.
WHERE WAS THE ‘2004 attitude’ all these years, huh?
Harsh, but true.
Where is Shad Forsyth Saga? Has he been given the Spanish fiddler as well?
Managers like to have their own backroom guys. No complaints seeing Unai changing coaching personnel. Love Jens but more surprised they kept Bould. Maybe for his knowledge of the league…
It’s like when a lion takes over a pride, a cull of the cubs, and juvenile males. Seems like Arsene’s ‘loyalists’ are being purged, and maybe it’s something that the new leader needs to do as well. Sad to see Jens go- always loved his craziness, and above all his winning mentality and ability, but that’s just the nature of the beast I guess
It’s hard for a manager to instill a clear new vision when you’ve got difficult characters like Jens around. I somehow think his personality is actually too strong for an assistant job – he should manage.
Ljungberg represents knowledge from the 2004 group. Lehmann was/is the attitude from the 2004 group. A little of both should be welcome.
How did that 2004 attitude work out for us last season?? just bitter you got the kick, onwards and upwards, change isn’t always bad
Salty
Oh, I’m pretty sure that tweet was meant exactly as he wrote it, especially if you translate it straight into German. He may be an “intelligent” guy, but he’s also very full of himself and clearly can’t fathom that someone might not need his particular skills/service. “2004 attitude” or not, maybe he just isn’t a very good coach, shock horror!
And I agree with a previous post, it’s not like the “attitude” changed dramatically last season, is it?
Meh. Get rid of all the Wenger remnants as far as I’m concerned. Give Emery a nice clean slate to work with and see what he does. He deserves that.
There is a lot of politics in backroom that nobody ever hears, I think Emery sees Jens as an influence, but one that could backfired on a different day. Unai is playing politics well. Letting go of Jack is a huge statement to the whole club, the fact that the board approves means that Emery has the hand on the throne, I think its a fantastic way of taking over a manager who has left such a huge mark on the clubs history and structure.
I wont be surprised if Bould were to go next.
I believe you are reading it all wrong. To me it looks like he’s talking about the whole attitude of the club which has gone sideways since 2004 and not about the club’s treatment towards the 2004 squad.
For me I wouldn’t be sad if steve bould is asked to leave the club infact he should have been the first to leave when obviously last season our defense was our main problem all he does is to sit there and act as if nothing is wrong.
What Bould does on the bench has very little to do with what he does the other 6,9 days of the week. His job during games isn’t to instruct or correct the players. I have no way of knowing what he does “backstage”, or if he’s a liability, or an utter genius. But I’m not judging him for just sitting on the bench. Wenger wasn’t the most active man on the side lines, and hardly ever got agitated towards the players – he’d show frustration, but rarely did I see him change things around, get up and scream and wave… Read more »