Poor old Oliver Kahn....

nooooooooooooooooo... I love Oliver Kahn... He's the only reason I support the German team at all even though my friends said he looks like a caveman [which is kind of true] they can't do that *uncontrollable sobs*

When I first saw Kahn I thought of Captain Caveman. Shame that he wasn't chosen.

I have a feeling he isn't poor.

He is getting on now, even for a keeper.

I'll be interested to see how the fans will take this decision... not well I imagine since I hardly know people that even remotely like Lehman.

Lehman is 36 as well? I know he has a bald spot coming on but I thought he was younger.

Hmm in that case I would rather see Kahn between the sticks.

The goalkeeper decision was the most discussed thing about the national team in the last months here in Germany. In the beginning, Kahn had most of the fans on his side, but Lehmann got more fans in the last weeks because of his good games and the bad ones of Kahn.

It was wildly speculated that the keeper who wouldnt be nominated as the #1 would probably not go to the World Cup as the #2. Let's see how Kahn decides...

Lehman suffered for a long time with having a rather poor Arsenal back line in front of him that everybody assumed must be good as it had Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole in it

Now they have both have been banished to the land of "wind and ghosts" Lehman and the organisation of his defence looks alot better.

Lehman is an extremley athletic keeper for a tall guy. However his ability with crosses looks suspect at times and his distribution is not great and counter attacking was always Arsenals big strength

DerChef said:

Lehman is an extremley athletic keeper for a tall guy. However his ability with crosses looks suspect at times and his distribution is not great and counter attacking was always Arsenals big strength

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Yeah, distribution is his biggest weakness, I think. And as Jürgen Klinsmann wants an offensive play, this doesn't really fit, but I hope he knows what he's doing.

Veldek said:

Yeah, distribution is his biggest weakness, I think. And as Jürgen Klinsmann wants an offensive play, this doesn't really fit, but I hope he knows what he's doing.

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I very much doubt Germany have much of a chance anyway maybe one world cup too early for this young side

DerChef said:

Lehman is an extremley athletic keeper for a tall guy. However his ability with crosses looks suspect at times and his distribution is not great and counter attacking was always Arsenals big strength

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Tell that to Juve & Real Madrid
Klinsmann has to go on form, and at the moment that means Lehmann. Unless he drops a real clanger in the Champions League Final
I don't think Kahn will retire until after the World Cup - there is still a chance for him, and why wouldn't he keep his options open for a World Cup on home soil? He might be arrogant but he's not stupid.

I don't really support this decision. Kahn and Lehmann are both excellent, it doesn't matter who the goalie is in the end. Kahn, however, got Germany into the final of the 2002 World Cup all by himself. I think we should thank him by letting him be the goalkeeper. Additionally, he had been thinking about leaving Bayern München and joining a different team, such as Real Madrid. But he didn't - because he wanted to support Germany in 2006. Now it's like he has wasted his last 4 years.
And you also gotta admit that most of the polls that have been taken recently, suggesting that the Germans want Lehmann in the goal, are kinda biased since Kahn has had a lot of problems with his public image - goalies shouldn't be judged by character, though.

Diatribe said:

I'll be interested to see how the fans will take this decision... not well I imagine since I hardly know people that even remotely like Lehman.

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Yey. We all love you Mad Jens.

lem0n said:

nooooooooooooooooo... I love Oliver Kahn... He's the only reason I support the German team at all even though my friends said he looks like a caveman [which is kind of true] they can't do that *uncontrollable sobs*

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Erm. I would think being German would be the only reason to support the German team.

Otherwise, support your own! No cheating!