The less said about Reading’s home game against Arsenal at the
start of the 2006/7 Season, the better.
I don’t personally have many memories of the game, accept
maybe that it highlighted to me, the pace at which top professional players,
play the game at times. The speed at which they move the ball, control and
pass, is at times quite breath taking. I often wondered, what is it that makes
a first or second division game look so slow and cumbersome, as if the ball is
somehow heavier or the grass much longer. Or how you can take two comparably
fit players, but one can be so much better than the other. Maybe it’s the
training, tactics, their mentality, or maybe it’s just playing with a group of
better players. Probably a combination of all of these factors, but then again
some players just have more skill and the footballing brain to put those
skills to better use.
Whatever the reason, you could expect a team that contained
players like Fabregas, Van Persie, Gallas, Henry, and Adebayor, to be a good side.
And that’s what Reading found to their cost in late October 2006. Of course, it
didn’t help Reading’s confidence much, conceding a goal in the first minute,
but then Arsenal did go on to give the Royals a real lesson in how to play football at the highest level.
Here are just a few of the images that I captured that day. Just
seeing Henry, up close and personal through my lens, was an experience in itself. Anyway I
hope that you enjoy shoots.
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| Ivar Ingimarsson shadows Arsenal's Rosicky |
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| Ex Gunner James Harper tussles with Robin Van Persie |
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| James Harper at full stretch |
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| Stephen Hunt watched by Toure |
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| Simply Henry |
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| Henry celebrates his goal after 60 seconds |
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| Alex Song stretching for the ball |
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| Steve Coppell in discussion with Kevin Dillion |
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| Stephen Hunt v Toure |
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| Ivar Ingimarsson marking Adebayor |
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| Arsne Wenger |
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| Lehmann warns Hunt |
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| Seol tackled by Van Persie |
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| Nicky Shorey |
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