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World Cup 2010: Jens Lehmann Questions Inexperienced Germany Goalkeepers
Lehmann can’t see his national team winning in South Africa because he doesn’t believe they have a custodian with enough experience to cope with the pressure such a competition inevitably brings...
12-Mar-2010 8:32:00 PM
By Robin Bairner
Controversial and outspoken as ever, veteran Stuttgart goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has raised doubts over the ability of Germany to win the World Cup with Rene Adler or Manuel Neuer in goal for the Mannschaft.
According to quotes attributed to the former Arsenal goalkeeper in Bild, he has explained the Bayer Leverkusen shot stopper Adler, 25, and Schalke custodian Neuer, 23, have not been persistently tested amongst the very best.
“If you want to be a world champion, it is not easy with relatively inexperienced people,” Lehmann explained bluntly. “Rene Adler and Manuel Neuer don’t play in the Champions League and thus don’t play continually at the highest level.”
Adler was criticised for his error in the recent friendly against Argentina, which allowed Gonzalo Higuain to score the winning goal, but Lehmann has urged the Bayer man to bounce back quickly.
“When I was young, I did not get such a great opportunity,” he stated. “Rene Adler must cope with this situation now. Manuel Neuer has had similar problems. He also has potential, but is still very young.”
Lehmann and Neuer go head-to-head in a Bundesliga match on Friday evening, and the Schalke custodian certainly has a point to prove.
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According to quotes attributed to the former Arsenal goalkeeper in Bild, he has explained the Bayer Leverkusen shot stopper Adler, 25, and Schalke custodian Neuer, 23, have not been persistently tested amongst the very best.
“If you want to be a world champion, it is not easy with relatively inexperienced people,” Lehmann explained bluntly. “Rene Adler and Manuel Neuer don’t play in the Champions League and thus don’t play continually at the highest level.”
Adler was criticised for his error in the recent friendly against Argentina, which allowed Gonzalo Higuain to score the winning goal, but Lehmann has urged the Bayer man to bounce back quickly.
“When I was young, I did not get such a great opportunity,” he stated. “Rene Adler must cope with this situation now. Manuel Neuer has had similar problems. He also has potential, but is still very young.”
Lehmann and Neuer go head-to-head in a Bundesliga match on Friday evening, and the Schalke custodian certainly has a point to prove.
Become a fan of Goal.com India's Facebook fan page for all the latest news and insight into everything the related to the beautiful game!
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