Michael Keshani

Can’t fully enjoy this cos there’s no way we win the league and they go down in the same season. God just doesn’t like me enough for that.

NEW: Three Years of Dismay, Disgust and Paralysis Link in tweet below. A very overdue one in many senses.

Kai Havertz, what have you done?

I may think he’s a big lug with no touch or talent… but maybe the supreme Arteta vision is unlocking a large man with an even larger man?

It's easy to have a go at Pep's hypocrisy with the Abu Dhabi links, but he's clearly judged it's more valuable for him to speak out and face pelters than say nothing, so he takes the pelters. Until one of the other 19 PL managers speaks out, he's the best anyone has. Good man.

We’re back to a frankly offensive extent.

Lots of chat about Zinchenko with the confirmation he’s gone. I wrote about him in the summer, looking at how he went from his 22/23 level and influence to a complete afterthought, how Arsenal quickly moved past him and why he fell off the way he did ➡️ open.substack.com/pub/ballisstri…

@Charley2385 Coming up to 9 since the original. I was 21 ffs

@MichaelKeshani How many years now

If there’s one institution that I’ve always shown nothing but respect and admiration for, and always had endless faith in, it’s Tottenham Hotspur

@Stillmanator They doubted me

Possibly the combined most ‘minutes under his belt’ and ‘just needs a goal to play himself into some form’ XI anyone’s ever fielded

@theiconic15 @NaphTor @jackbarsenal Yeah the minute it’s anyone but Martinelli or Madueke LW it’s a very slow front line. Plus I don’t think it’s a coincidence Martinelli’s form was good with Merino CF end of last season. Want to see Eze off Havertz but I also just want to see Havertz again, any combo will do

@NaphTor @jackbarsenal @theiconic15 basically no box presence, barely touches the ball there. We’re more dominant IP w him cos we circulate better but need to be really effective/smart cos we don’t generate much, but it’s easier to generate those when you’re dominant. MM CF isn’t a good option but it’s a better one

@jackbarsenal @theiconic15 @MichaelKeshani 5. IMO while Merino is prob not the answer, I *do* think we had a much clearer idea of how to use him to functionally attack. The tactics & roles were clearer. I don't think chopping & changing has helped, and VG's style is anathema to how we play.

@NaphTor @jackbarsenal @theiconic15 Can’t see the full conv but obv my view is all there. Merino up top is also very different depending who’s at R8/10. Last season it was rough but broadly okay, better with Eze this year cos a Merino CF suits him loads more than MØ. Gyok CF, ofc, doesn’t suit anyone. Merino has…

@AFCMet Best part, I was just looking for the penguin suit pic then google gave me that one. Made me want to buy a PS2 and go back to the glory days

@MichaelKeshani You deserve the most credit here, I was genuinely laughing for ages. It’s so good

Gyokeres running through on goal

@AFCMet 😂 my own fault for putting it on the wrong platform

My scepticism is clear, but the club are seemingly convinced that goal against Inter will be the start of a big run.

Also a well-worn point but the difficulty of game between PL/CL is very jarring. Imagine a lot is still clubs adapting to the format - a loss here and there doesn’t really matter and we’re better than most teams, so a fairly free hit - but you worry for broader European football.

One thing about watching Inter yesterday and looking again at that squad - not new, but Simone Inzaghi might be the best manager with hair in the world. Two CL Finals in three years is already impressive but will age incredibly as an achievement, despite the 5-0.