10 Underwhelming Arsenal Signings Who Became Cult Heroes

1. Jens Lehmann

What a crazy man Jens Lehmann was. Underneath all of the insane antics, including verbally attacking his team-mates, confronting supporters and rash red cards, lay a very capable goalkeeper who kept ten clean sheets on the way to the Gunners' unprecedented Champions League final appearance in 2006. The volatile German once bemoaned rival Manuel Almunia's lack of experience at the top level, stating that being behind 'somebody who only started to play when he was 30 is not funny'. However, outside of Bundesliga enthusiasts, how many knew of Lehmann when he signed for the Gunners as David Seaman's replacement in 2003? At 32 years of age, not many saw the sense in replacing Seaman with an ageing goalkeeper, but the madman soon endeared himself to the Gunners support. Saving Paul Scholes' FA Cup final penalty in 2005 endeared him to the Highbury support, his theatrical clash with Didier Drogba earned cult status amongst the Emirates faithful, while a last-gasp penalty save from Villareal playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme to propel the North Londoners into a Champions League final made him a hero. Of course, in typical fashion, for every heroic action, there is a reverse, as the eccentric German was dismissed within 20 minutes of the Parisian final kicking off. One thing is for sure - life would have been a lot duller without this hot-headed eccentric flapping around North London. So that's a wrap - do you agree with the selections? Were Arsenal supporters as objectionable to some of these transfers as the article implies, and what notable exclusions have there been? After all, Nicklas Bendtner was highly a regarded talent before Arsenal poached as a youth... As always, feel free to voice your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below. The sport is full of them!