The Jens Lehmann and Oliver Kahn runaround ended a few weeks ago with Lehmann getting the nod to keep Germany’s goal. But the French who are never short of drama are still undecided as to their sentinel.
Coach Raymond Domenech still has not made up his mind. Recently Domenech favoured the Olympique Marseille gardien Barthez- who will be 36 in June- but the French supporters recently booed and jeered the ex-Manchester United man in the shock friendly defeat to Slovakia. It will be interesting to see whether or not Domenech bows to pressure from the supporters and installs Coupet as his number one.
Fabian Barthez is still flamboyant but he made some terrible blunders that did not endear himself to Man U fans who still smart from their loss to Deportivo Coruna in the European Cup in 2001.
A poem by B.Hind captures the Man U angst against Barthez
Fart hez a ‘mare
Poor old Fabian Barthez?
“It’s all my own fault”, he says
And don’t we all agree, that’s every man, jack and Jez (ebel)
He just needed Tommy Cooper’s fez
To complete the look of a clown
He certainly brought a frown
To the young defender, Brown
Never again, warns Wes
From his new des res
Perusing the morning papers (avec pince-nez?)
Mawkishly musing, had he actually been playing in front of Brian Glover, the teacher from Kes!?