Ballack backing Lehmann for German No.1 spot

[bandini]

Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack believes Jens Lehmann deserves to be Germany's number one at Euro 2008.

The goalkeeper has barely featured for Arsenal this season, having lost his place to Manuel Almunia.

But he put in an assured display in Germany's 4-0 friendly win over European Championship co-hosts Switzerland in Basle on Wednesday night to go a record 621 minutes without conceding a goal for the national team.

Germany coach Joachim Low has a number of up-and-coming keepers he can call on, including Bayer Leverkusen's Rene Adler and Schalke's Manuel Neuer, as well as the more experienced Timo Hildebrand from Valencia, but Ballack feels Lehman is justifiably the first choice.

Ballack told the Bild newspaper: 'It is of course silly if you don't play for your club.

'But Jens has shown that he is the right man to keep goal. I believe there will be no more talk about it in the lead up to the championships.'

source: soccernet.com

[Oliver_Kahn]

Lehmann has been solid for Germany lately, there are no real mistakes I can point out. Besides Ballack, even Kahn has backed Lehmann and everyone knows Jogi Löw likes Lehmann, so he'll start in the Euro.

It's now a matter of choosing the other 2 goalkeepers

[bandini]

who are the others in the running? who do you like?

[Oliver_Kahn]

Originally Posted by bandini

who are the others in the running? who do you like?

Timo Hildebrand, Robert Enke and Manuel Neuer are the ones Jogi has called up besides Lehmann (although Neuer hasn't played yet).
So I guess the other 2 spots will be filled in by 2 of those 3 (most likely Enke and Timo).

Tim Wiese and Rene Adler are also in the running, but Jogi doesn't rate Wiese it seems (and he has been really poor of late), and Adler is yet to be called up to the NT so I doubt Jogi will think of him, but atm I'd say he is the best German goalkeeper.


So all the options for the other 2 spots are:

- Hildebrand;
- Enke;
- Adler;
- Wiese;
- Neuer.

If they were all in the same position (as in with the same odds to be called-up), I'd go with Adler and Enke. But my prediction is Timo as #2 and Enke as #3.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Lehmann need to improve to become Arsenal's no1 first.