Alright, listen up you muppets! That Jens Lehmann, what a lad eh? He knew he was onto something special when he rocked up at Arsenal and saw the quality in that dressing room.
The Invincible season
Lehmann played every single match during the 2003/04 Invincible season, helping the Gunners win the Premier League without losing a single bloody game. Can you imagine that? A whole season unbeaten!
Impressed by the quality
In an interview, Lehmann admitted he was "impressed by the quality" of his fellow teammates when he first joined Arsenal. And who can blame him? With the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry up against him in training, it's no wonder he knew he was part of something special.
"I was the only one to win the European Cup, so that gave me some confidence," Lehmann said. Well, you would be confident too if you were a part of that team, wouldn't you?
The Invincibles' camaraderie
Lehmann also spoke about the camaraderie in the Invincibles team, saying: "I never saw such a blend of players, blessed with quality but at the same time with some camaraderie which was absolutely vital to win the Premier League."
He's not wrong there. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't have that bond and understanding between teammates, you won't win fuck all.
Lehmann's difficult relationships
Despite the camaraderie, Lehmann admitted he had "very difficult relationships" with his teammates on the pitch, especially Henry. "I was always arguing with Thierry in training because I said to him, 'run run run' or with some other guys because in training it was about winning already," he said.
Well, you can't be best mates with everyone, can you? As long as they were winning on the pitch, that's all that bloody matters.
Arsenal should have won the Champions League
Lehmann believes the Invincibles should have won the Champions League too. "We should have won the Champions League as well [the Invincibles year]," he said. "We knew how to communicate."
It's a shame they didn't, but they still made history by going unbeaten in the league. And let's be honest, that's what really matters in football.
Blessed to play with Henry at his peak
Speaking of Henry, Lehmann said he was "blessed to play with him at his peak". Of course he fucking was! Henry was one of the best strikers in the world at the time.
"He was exceptional, but we had a good structure because sometimes they say you can win with a good offence," Lehmann said. "You can win games with a good offence, but you win the championship [title] with a good structured defence."
And he's spot on there. You need a solid defence to win titles, and Arsenal had that in abundance during the Invincible season.
So there you have it. Lehmann knew he was part of something special when he joined Arsenal, and he wasn't wrong. The Invincibles were a fucking incredible team, and it's no wonder they're still talked about to this day. FOOTBALL IS LIFE!
