In Safe Hands: The Jens Lehmann Story

Introduction

Hey everyone!

Thanks for taking the time to come and have a look at my story. I've been a long time admirer of the site and the stories that are written and produced on here and I'm hoping that I'll be able to add my own to your collection.

For my story, I figured I would try and follow a manager's journey, as opposed to a specific team. I wanted to choose someone that was close to my own heart (as an Arsenal fan), but also someone who wasn't an already well used character. While I would ultimately like to be the Arsenal manager, I won't be jumping straight in to the hot seat...I'll be trying to work my way up to become the main man at The Emirates.

The Manager

Jens Lehmann is a former German international goalkeeper, who struggled to get a foothold in the German team for quite some time. Lehmann's failure to hold a regular position in the German National Team is not a reflection on his own playing skill, but is instead an unfortunate side effect of playing football in the same era as Oliver Kahn.
Kahn and Lehmann enjoyed a fantastic rivalry which ended in 2006, when Jurgen Klinsmann announced that Lehmann would be the German Number One 'keeper for the upcoming World Cup finals.
Lehmann went on to set a new National Team record after not conceding a goal for 681 minutes of International Football.

Lehmann's club career however, was not held back in such a way and included spells at some the greatest clubs in European football, including stints at Schalke, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and perhaps most famously at Arsenal.

Lehmann was part of the now famous Arsenal 'Invincibles' team and went on to set a Champion's League record in the 2005-2006 season after going an incredible 853 minutes without conceding a single goal in Champion's League football.

After a period away from Arsenal, Lehmann returned in the 2010-2011 season where he played a single match, a 3-1 win against Blackpool before retiring from playing football.

Lehmann was reportedly interested at staying on at Arsenal to try and earn his coaching badges, but as of yet this has not been confirmed.

Other Info

I'll be playing this career in Football Manager Classic mode, mainly because I work full time and am unable to commit hours upon hours to the game :(. (Until I win the lottery anyway!)
I’ll be starting out unemployed with International Footballer reputation, as I feel that is befitting of the mighty Lehmann!

I have loaded all the major european leagues and increased the database size to Large, so we shouldn't lose too much from the normal game. If the story takes us to another continent, I’ll be adding/removing leagues as fit.

Leagues Loaded (Large Database):
English - All
Spanish - All
Belgian - All
German - All
Italian - All
Dutch - All
French - All

Index

01 - Beginning

As I sunk slowly in to the driver’s seat of my car, I finally allowed myself a chance to breathe and relax. It had been a tense few months, full of study, travel and more study, but I had finally managed to come to the end of my journey.

I had taken more dummy training sessions than I could count, been shadowing more coaches and attended more lectures than I could care to remember but now the hard work was really about to begin. There were a number of clubs with vacancies at a Managerial level, I would have to hope that my agent would do his best to secure me a position to finally allow me to cut my teeth as a fully-fledged Manager.


I gazed down at the bit of paper that rested beside me on the front passenger seat of the car. That one little document was the key to my future. The key that unlocked the world of football management to me. It was time to begin the search for a new club.

Nice update and good luck with the story. Even as a Spurs fan I have a soft sport for Lehmann

Love the diploma update looks good!

Good start and good luck

good stuff ay.

should of loaded Australia haha

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Lehmann to become Manager

June 1st 2013


Goal.Com understands that former Arsenal and Germany stalwart shot-stopper, Jens Lehmann is set to become a full time football manager in the next few months.

Lehmann, a key member of the Arsenal 'invincibles' side that managed to go a whole league season undefeated, has been studying for his UEFA Pro License recently, in his homeland of Germany. Following his exams, Lehmann is now a fully qualified football coach, with free reign to manage anywhere across the continent.




With a number of vacancies across the continent at clubs including, Palermo in Italy, AZ Alkmaar in Holland and Valenciennes FC in France it may not be too long before Jens gets his opportunity to lead a club from the touchlines, instead of from between the sticks as he was previously used to doing.

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Lehmann lands new job

4th October 2013

Jens Lehmann, the former Arsenal and Germany goalkeeper has managed to secure himself a new job this morning, after being officially unveiled as the new Sevilla Atlético full time manager.

After a number of unsuccessful applications at clubs like Palermo, SC Heerenveen, AZ Alkmaar and Valenciennes FC, Lehmann had half expected to be spending his first season with his full UEFA Pro License unemployed, but the hierarchy at Sevilla Atlético came knocking, hoping that he was the man they needed to turn their unsuccessful season around.




Sevilla Atlético currently play their football in the Spanish Second Division B4. They are a feeder club of Liga Adelante side Sevilla and have endured something of a torrid start to the new campaign.

Rated as mid-table also rans, they currently find themselves deep in the relegation zone at 22nd in the table with only two points to their name after six games.
With a roster full of young talent, including highly rated 17 year old Curro who Chelsea are reportedly interested in, the club ought to be doing much better, but a combination of poor finances and a leaky back four have seen them plummet down the table in to obscurity.

Lehmann will have to be at his best to nurture some great performances from the squad he inherits in Spain. There is no budget to make any drastic improvements and he will be completely reliant on making the current team pull together to improve his standing as a manager.

While the illustrious Arsenal job is still some way away, with Wenger surely not having many more seasons left in him, perhaps Lehmann can prove himself worthy to take over the mantle when the time comes.