Saturday 30th Jan 2010 at the Emirates Stadium Arsenal vs Bolton Half Time
Jake was having to get used to a number of momentous things: being an integral part of the Team's match preparations was one but also being right at the heart of the fiery passion that was the impressive 75000 seater Emirates stadium. The young man was also having to get used to the unwelcome idea that both his manager and his beloved Gunners were fallible and there was nothing like being pitch-side to bring that home. He had travelled to Newcastle exactly 1 week ago and witnessed satisfaction at snatching a bore draw with a Geordie side that had hammered them 2-0 at that very ground only 2 weeks previously. Why were they satisfied an exasperated Jake had demanded of Micah Richards on the plane back to Heathrow? Richards, who was on an extended break after complaining of feeling jaded responded with that big grin of his, clapped Jake on the back and said,
'so we can hammer them back at home base blood! You get me?'
Jake didn't get it at all but he bit his lip on this occasion.
He had to miss the mid week trip to Aston Villa as his father was, once more, on the warpath about his lack of study. It seemed the explanation that all this filming was going to guarantee him an A Grade in his Media Studies A-Level cut no ice with his Dad who merely shot back with 'And what about your other A-Levels Jake?' The game had ended 1-1: another draw! He had remembered seeing the headlines in Thursday's paper:
Quote:
Tuncay Torments Villa but Arsenal are held The Guardian Thursday 28th January 2010
Aston Villa 1 (Kahlenburg 38)
Arsenal 1 (Torres Pen 79)
Jeremy Cozens Writes:
At the end of this match we saluted the ethereal brilliance of the mercurial Turk, Sanli Tuncay. He was aided and abetted by a resurgent Fernando Torres and a Gael Clichy restored as Left Back in the absence of the African Nations attendee Armand Traore but it was not enough to overcome the resistance of Martin O'Neil's team............
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Not a bad result, Jake had thought, especially as their nearest challengers Manchester United had stumbled at 5th placed Bolton, only managing a draw there: they remained 5 points behind with a game in hand now.
So here they were facing Bolton, who were now in 3rd place unbelievably. Ben had taken Jake aside before the game so that he could be privy to his tactical thinking.
'Always have a look at the opposition defence young Jake!' Ben had said smiling, 'the reason that they have done so well this campaign is that they have conceded the fewest goals-only 14 all season so far. We have let in 24 conversely. Looking at their defensive unit I can't see anything really outstanding though I must say' It was a joy to watch him poring over graphs and stats of the opposition players-he had a state of the art PDA that had all of this info beamed to it from various websites-fascinating.
'I'd have my wingers hug the touchlines and cross a bit more than you do Ben' Jake piped up: he had become quite cocky like that of late.
'Yes cocksure arent you these days-hey Pat!' he called across his office to Pat Rice who was briefing the playing staff 'This one reckons he knows how I should play today!'
Rice laughed good-naturedly and Jake smiled ruefully as Amponsah ruffled his hair.
'No look in-I will indeed play to the flanks and try and stretch the Bolton midfield but I will ask Tuncay and Alexiandr to dribble into the box as usual-their centre backs are big and tall and Jaaskelainen is too good in the air. Come on Jake let's go gee up the troops!'
It had all gone according to plan on a breezy, chilly winter day. The sun was out though and leant a crisp sharpness to the setting. Out on the pitch Walcott and Torres were up front and Theo had really taken his chance with both Tevez and Henry injured and Bendtner firing blanks. The midfield picked itself usually but it was the ageing Gilberto who had the holding role as Diarra was also on African Nations duty. Rosicky was the spark in the centre. In defence Micah Richards was back and in his favoured position of centre half whilst Kolo Toure was also away in Africa. Hoyte and Clichy were on the flanks.
Jake had positioned himself slighty behind and to the right of the Arsenal Manager so that he could capture every gesture, command and display. He wasn't to be disappointed. Arsenal started in a controlled and measured way, pinging the ball about and out to the flanks in order to stretch the play as instructed. In the early exchanges Vaz Te and Anelka were lively and very quick but Gallas and Richards were no slouches either and seemed to be containing them. The Bolton defence were having a harder time dealing with Walcott though who's thrusting runs and propensity to shoot on site were causing mayhem in the Bolton rearguard. Twice in the 9th and 11th minutes Jaaskelainen was forced into point blank saves to deny the young Englishman and on each occasion Jake had to remember to keep filming when his natural inclination was to jump up with the rest of the subs, staff and 70000 raucous Arsenal fans.
And then on the 21st minute a moment of brilliance....Torres who had been putting himself about in the centre of the park won the ball with a well-timed tackle of the Slovenian midfielder, Ceh-he swivelled and spotted the thrusting run of Walcott straight up the centre of the park. He arrowed a through ball that found the young Englishman 40 yards out; he took it first time with a superb touch and ran at speed towards the Bolton goal. Walcott was so fast that by the time the only Bolton defender goal-side realised what was happening Walcott was past him. The same fate befell the otherwise excellent Jaaskelainen as he watched Walcott breeze to his left and fire a shot low and hard into the corner of the net. Pandemonium! Even Jake had stopped filming to join the celebration: this was what Arsene had hired him for-the quicksilver youth that could move like their legendary skipper was back!
Ben Amponsah was in good spirits: it was vital, he had told Jake earlier, to see off the threat of their nearest challengers and send a signal to the rest of the League. As the match eased towards half time Hleb was booked for some rash shirt pulling.
'Easy Alex!' Ben was mouthing to the Belarus winger: he had been fighting a running battle with his opposite number, Chevanton all afternoon. The play continued and then the ball was played out to Chevanton on the Bolton left. He was felled by a clumsy challenge by Hleb. Jake instantly trained his cam on Ben as he knew instinctively what was going to happen.
'No no no no!' Ben said but it was a foregone conclusion as Mike Dean reached for his 2nd yellow.
'Silly silly silly man!' The manager glared at Hleb as he came off and went into an instant huddle with his Assistant. 'Ok no changes Pat-Walcott to the right-Torres up the centre and switch to counter-attacking. Apart from that no change-we keep them on the back foot-ok?'
'You got it boss' said Rice and went to convey Ben's orders to the team. Jake had his heart in his mouth: how long would they last against a good Bolton side with only 10 men for 55 minutes?
They got to half time without mishap and indeed with Torres making a right royal nuisance of himself alone up front and with Walcott a willing runner from the right it was hard to actually notice that Arsenal were a man down.
'Keep it going like this lads-I want to see the same effort and no drop in performance in the 2nd half!' was Amponsah's admonishment to the team at half-time. They looked hungry again Jake noted.
But just after half time Gigi Buffon made one of his 'once in a season' blunders. An innocuous back pass to him just outside the area but the Italian mis-controlled the ball straight into the path of a grateful Anelka who made no mistake. At this point Ben was clenching his fists and rolling his eyes heavenwards-that was 2 monumental player ****-ups now in one match-there would be some tongue lashings after this game thought Jake grimly-great footage though!
It was a lucky break that Bolton didn't deserve and after the restart Arsenal went straight back on the attack. Sure enough the next break went the way of the team that best deserved it: the 53rd minute brought an injudicious shove of Gilberto in the box: penalty! It was despatched coolly by Torres despite the Grobelaar-like antics of Jaaskelainen to take his season tally to an incredible 20 goals. The best thing about it was the young Spaniard running back to the Arsenal dugout to give his manager a big hug as if to acknowledge him and say 'I'm back!'
Afterwards Amponsah turned to Jake and shouted abovce the din of the still-wildly celebrating crowd 'Loss of form? What loss of form?'
When Bolton's Harry Worley hacked down Tuncay with a horrible 2 footed lunge in the 67th minute and got sent off for his pains the game was up. Phil Brown tried to keep what little pressure his team had exerted on by playing a 3-4-2 formation but with Arsenal maintaining their wide play it just played into a chuckling Amponsah's hand
'What a f*****g amateur!' he had scoffed to Pat Rice and the torment continued.
Torres capped a truly fine display with an angled header into the far corner of the Bolton goal prompting Ben to substitute him so that he earned a heartfelt standing ovation from the Arsenal faithful. The fans-like Jake-had begun to worry that without Tevez or Henry and with Torres off-form, the season was in serious danger of becoming unstuck. Torres and the rest of the side had responded and shown that it was a squad game and that they were up to the task. Jake had tripped off the pitch at the end feeling almost as if he was one of the team-he shared their elation, their ups, their downs and their confidence: he was becoming a part of Team Arsenal..................
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