Good morning Gooners! A wet and cold London morning to you. Before I begin, I want to apologize about the lack of “visual stimulation on the past few posts.” I am using the Mrs. computer (which is not a PC), and I have had one heck of a time loading pictures of the Road Trip, updates, and so on. With that being said, please sit tight, and know that I will have lots and lots of pictures for you all early next week.
So, on to Portsmouth. Arsenal took on Pompey last night in what proved to be a great end to 2009. You can read a great write up about the match on Arsenal.com. With Cesc and Robin out, we have had to get “creative” with our goals. November was a tough month for us, with a tough loss to Chelsea at home. Our title credentials were taking a hit from all sides, and you could see that the lads were in need of some direction and support. With some consistent play, and some luck, we have pulled ourselves right back into title contention. With our game in hand to be played on January 6th against Bolton, we could see ourselves within 1 point of the league leaders Chelsea. We take on West Ham in the FA Cup on Sunday. I would imagine that Arsene will rest those players that are not heading off to the African Cup of Nations, and the likes of Song and Eboue will be played to their fullest before heading home.
So, let’s get back to this Portsmouth match. I have been to several home games before, but I have never had the opportunity to go to an away match. What an amazing experience. We had 15 Arsenal Americans heading down for this trip. We went down to Portsmouth on the Arsenal coach buses. We met up at Emirates, got a bit of shopping in (some more than others . . . Arsenal dog bowls, Arsenal garden gnomes, Arsenal tooth brushes . . . that is total commitment, and I love every minute of it!), and loaded up on the coaches.
Half way on our 2 hour journey to Portsmouth, we were offered a selection of hot beverages. When was the last time Greyhound offered you hot English tea or coffee? Exactly. Once we arrived in Portsmouth, we headed over to the Good Companion to meet up with the other Gooners from far and wide. The pub was packed with chanting and singing Gooners, ready to take on Avram Grant’s Portsmouth. When you walked in, you needed no introduction, as your scarf, jersey, or Arsenal pin were all that was required for entrance and acceptance. A few pints were drank, and a few songs were sung (What do you think of Tottenham? . . . ), and we were on our way to Fratton Park. Unlike many stadiums in England, and in Europe, Fratton Park is quite old, and has never been updated or modified. The seats were simply bolted in place over the old terraces. You could smell the musk of the ground as you walked through away supporters gate. Once we got up the unevenly spaced (and sized I might add . . . and yes, I almost tripped going up the stairs twice . . . and no, I was not drunk . . . they were very uneven in size and height . . . it was very confusing . . . and you can stop laughing now) stairs, we found our way to our seats. The seats were small, but we didn’t need them anyway, as we stood the entire time.
The experience at an away game is truly unique, and very different than that of Emirates. I have found that Arsenal supporters at Emirates ride the roller coaster of emotions with the players, which can result in long moments of silence. The Gooners at Pompey did not stop singing until we were on the busses to go home. There was a true sense of passion and purpose with our singing and chants. We learned songs, and even made up a few . . . “We are standing on the new Portsmouth Flats, the new Portsmouth flats, the new Portsmouth flats (this was sung to “we all live in a yellow submarine” by the Beatles)” . . . it was a great night!
Fratton Park is a very small stadium, so the away supporters are very close to the action. The players could see us and reacted to our songs. We even got Arsene to give us a wave in the middle of the game. You could feel the tackles, and could see how truly fast Premier League players are. It was truly amazing to see how fast and powerful each of our players are. At one point in the second half, Traore was running straight at us, and I thought to myself, “if he doesn’t slow down, he is going to end up next to us in row N.” Arshavin had a glorious chance in the beginning of the second half, and was blocked soundly by the Portsmouth defense. In a moment of sheer amusement, he turned to the away supporters, smiled, and shrugged, as if to say, “Niet . . . I will score next time . . . dosvedanya.” He’s five foot four, he’s five foot foooooouurrrrr, we’ve got Arshavin, $&#@ Adebayor!
We got to experience two goals at the far end of the pitch (Eduardo and Nasri), and two more right in front of us (Ramsey and Song). Portsmouth pulled back a goal late in the second half, but the damage was done, and we were only minutes away from our forth and final goal of the night. Portsmouth have much bigger issues to worry about now, the least of which is a loss to Arsenal. It was truly awesome to see the Portsmouth defense scrambling to cover our players, as they moved the ball with such mastery, it was as if they were painting the very pitch beneath them. I would say football, much like many sports, is straight forward to play, but very difficult to master. Arsenal make it look so easy, which reminds us all as to how truly difficult it is to be a professional footballer.
Ramsey was so precise with his movement on the pitch, it was as if he could have done the very same move with the lights off, and blind folded. You could see in person how powerful and important Song is to our team. He marshalled our midfield with strength and spirit. Patrick Viera would be proud. About an hour into the game, we started singing my new favorite Christmas song, which I thought you all might enjoy:
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All The Way
Oh What Fun It Is To See Arsenal Win Away, Eh!
Once the game had concluded, we marched back to the bus to embark on our journey home. The game was a fantastic display of the ability and prowess our team possesses, and an indication of the months to come. I for one believe that this is our year! This is the year that we win some silverware! This is the year that we say started our run of silverware. 2010 and beyond is for Arsenal.
Well, I must get cleaned up. We are off to the Armoury to spend more money on stuff that I don’t really need . . . Arsenal bath mat anyone?
From all of us at Arsenal America, I wish each of you a very prosperous New Year. The decade wrap up will be awaiting you tomorrow! Road Trip Day 6 . . . here we come!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!