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Michael Keshani

@michaelkeshani.bsky.social
847 followers 230 following 554 posts

Someone already took @/Kesh, so this platform is off to a bad start for me.

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
We’ve started this season with all 6 goals all from open play situations. It took until 1st November, 10 games in, to get there last season.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Martinelli was often infuriating but I’m broadly sad about the fact he’s off, how it’s unfolded & remembering just how big his potential seemed to be a few years ago. Beyond everything else, he turned up to a shambles, never hid, and leaves a champion. ➡️ ballisstrife.substack.com/p/its-just-a...
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
NEW ARTICLE: We’re the best team in the league, and possibly the best in the world in the first four fifths of the pitch, but there’s still that gnaw of incompleteness in the front line. LINK: ballisstrife.substack.com/p/no-cruise-...
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Blue Moon Podcast @bluemoonpodcast.com · 24/08/2026
🎙️ NEW #MCFC PODCAST It's the good and the bad of #ManCity's matches against Arsenal (for the third time!). This week's nostalgia episode is City Heaven, City Hell. 🔵 On #MCFC: @amac63.bsky.social 🔴 On #AFC: @michaelkeshani.bsky.social Listen here: www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodc...
On the left, City's players celebrate a 3-1 win at Arsenal in 2023. On the right, it reads: "City Heaven, City Hell, Arsenal 3, Blue Moon Podcast".
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
lol, timing w Konsa news. Ambivalent - will be fine and ticks most of the boxes (but hope RB stints are rare cos his crossing is vile), but idk, maybe I have excessive faith in White’s fitness/CB ability now. But we missed an overlapper at RB so much last yr; feels like we’re leaning the other way
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Morning all, been a while. Bsky often logs me out and tells me my saved password is wrong. Alas; I’ve been writing. Started on the situation in defence. We’re broadly strong but without Saliba, it can’t be quite as good. My ideal: White back to CB, invest at RB. open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
This season has been very, very strange. There’s a really pretty reasonable chance we win the league and/or CL. But it’s not been great and the squad is a bit of a mess. But it’s also really good, largely. It’s incredibly hard to parse and really make sense of, but I try.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
NEW: Handbrake Turns, Ill-Laid Plans, and Glory Still In Sight open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...
open.substack.com
Handbrake Turns, Ill-Laid Plans, and Glory Still in Sight
A squad built for quantity over qualities, an unclear identity, and still a good chance for the most successful season in Arsenal history. How have we arrived at this?
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
NEW: Handbrake Turns, Ill-Laid Plans, and Glory Still In Sight open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...
open.substack.com
Handbrake Turns, Ill-Laid Plans, and Glory Still in Sight
A squad built for quantity over qualities, an unclear identity, and still a good chance for the most successful season in Arsenal history. How have we arrived at this?
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Any frustration I have about yesterday is completely dwarfed by the fact that if we’d played like that all season we’d be about 15 clear.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Do they take Arsenal-related cases?
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Feel q numb to the season seemingly circling the drain cos it’s been so clear all yr we’re not that good. We’ve had maybe 5(?) really convincing PL games? Mentality is important but quality is the biggest issue rn. Players are knackered but it’ll need some tactical trump card to turn it back around.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
You all already know what I think, and it’s not the only problem by any stretch, but we really have to stop playing the first 60’ of every game with 10.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
I thought we were a bit going nowhere at this point in 23/24. The Palace 5-0 was 2 years ago today and it was an oddly unimpressive 5-0. Obviously we went on the run of a lifetime. Only thing that changed going on was Havertz CF. The thought it really my hopium of choice at the moment.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
NEW ARTICLE: The Gyök Is Ticking
open.substack.com
The Gyök Is Ticking
While results have been good, a deeper look paints a deeply concerning picture of Viktor Gyökeres' first six months as an Arsenal player.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
NEW ARTICLE: The Gyök Is Ticking
open.substack.com
The Gyök Is Ticking
While results have been good, a deeper look paints a deeply concerning picture of Viktor Gyökeres' first six months as an Arsenal player.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Have you ever seen a haddock win the league?
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Main selection was poor, subs just didn't work. Taking Martinelli off really backfired. All round dismal. If I say what I think about that oaf they'll have me banged up.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Subbed off / Subbed on
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
That break with the entire Forest half open
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Strange game. Should be more annoyed cos we really should have it done and dusted, but it had the dynamics of a 7s game. Think it was intentional but we were much more open than usual, but also a lot more direct. Fair play to Gyok, by far his best performance for us.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
He's even madder (positive) about Havertz than I am. He's also even madder (negative) about Gyökeres than I am.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Think Havertz CF is much better foil for Eze in CM than the alternatives, but if the minutes are there for Nwaneri to grow into the role, he's better suited to the central role generally. Depends if he can muscle his way in. Still getting there readiness wise but love the way he carries the ball.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Havertz has done like 4 pretty simple bits of play and I feel like a weight has been lifted off me. A better world is possible. A world without a bag of gravel at centre forward.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
I acknowledge I’ve said some pretty harsh things about Gyökeres, but I do think it’s fair to say we don’t play to his strengths. But really, doing that would require stopping the football bit and having the team just do progressive overloading on the bench press for 90 minutes, so it’s not worth it.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Not rotating a CM will lead to very tired CM. Buying a terrible centre forward will lead to a few very difficult games. If you play with timidity it’ll reflect in results. Many factors but the lesson for me is squad. Not always easy to rotate, and hindsight is easy, but it’s what we have.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
Most I’ve liked Hincapie yday. Dealt with shifting positions v well, def see him as more LB than CB though. Unfortunately nothing is deterring me from the view that Gyok is poss the worst player to have 20+ starts for us post the year 2000 and he wasn’t even awful yday by his low standards.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Odd game. Fulham feels like the natural point of comparison but I’d say we were much better going forward yday, particularly in the second half (after 65’ even…). Lots of openings, we just didn’t kill it, but the openings were there and that’s an improvement in and of itself from similar games.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Too much narrative this week from people like me. The Gyöker to bag 1-2. Getting towards make or break territory for him in pecking order terms; The Discourse needs it.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
How can you be 6'2, clearly spend hours of your life in the gym, and be that weak in every single challenge? As a mate said, he plays like he's 5'7. But he also moves like a man in a rubber shark outfit trying to run. Abysmal.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
He'll be fourth choice by Feb if the main two can stay fit. He can't pass, his first touch is hilarious, he can't hold the ball up, he can't make separation from defenders, his box presence is crap, he can't do a single thing back to goal, he can't win an aerial, his movement doesn't open anything.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
We play with 10 every time Gyökeres is on the pitch.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Hate to be a broken record but maybe I’ll do an apology form on the Substack for when The Positive People realise having a striker with no discernible talent is a bad idea.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Also really like Madueke's unpredictability. Part of why he can be inconsistent/frustrating but in a team where things can be a bit regimented at times, him adding some weirdness and variation is a real tonic. Changes the ways teams approach us and I'd argue brings it out of other players too
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Idk how much Jesus has in him for the season but really liked seeing so much zip in his game today. Obv game state, opposition, etc, but he's a really joyful player when he's playing well.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Had been considering Milan in the away end but with the kind of rotation I want to see, I should be making the bench at least.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Gabriel Jesus came on 17 minutes ago, his first game back from 11 months out. He's managed 9/10 passes, 2 shots, 12 touches. In 63 minutes Gyökeres managed 5/6 passes, 3 shots and 12 touches.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
If Wolves can be relied on to play anything like they did on Monday I want to see: Raya White-Norgaard-Merino-Martinelli Rice Saka-Odegaard-Eze-Madueke Jesus
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
That Zubimendi assist, wow
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
I know I've called him crap in about 15 different ways in the past few days but I'm backing Gyökeres to score 6 on Saturday. Wolves look like the Liga Portugal defences did on all those comps.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
As much as I’ve lost that mind about that useless galoot, I’m fairly balanced on the rest. Lots of tough aways done but we need a margin by the time the FA Cup weekend comes around.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
We play with 10 every time Gyökeres is on the pitch.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Never look forward to playing Brentford but there's something I really like about them and how they almost always make it really difficult for us. So many changes and versions of them down the years but each version of them is serious. Thought Van den Berg was great today in particular.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Afternoon everyone, if you’re at a loose end this evening, the Paddington area is accessible to you, and you’re interested in football, sustainability and how they can be brought together, this will be very enjoyable and interesting: mason-fifth.com/event/paddin...
mason-fifth.com
Paddington Development Trust Presents Nature Of Things: A Salon For Curious Minds
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Last week I wrote about Leandro Trossard, his adapted role this season and how he just keeps going and going. He’s not always the most fashionable option but there’s always room for a very smart, very adaptable player who knows how to make things happen. open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...
open.substack.com
In Leandro We Tross
Leandro Trossard was high on many expected lists of Arsenal departures this summer, but as he has so often done, he's been given an opportunity to prove his worth and really taken it.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
Main thing I’ve enjoyed this year how much we control games. Not as much verve yet but the control may be even stronger than the back end of 23/24, which I hold as the benchmark. Wrote in the summer about what needed to change re control, and I’m really delighted with Zubi off the back of it.
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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
Many were seemingly very offended when I said we played poorly last week but similar this, though against a very good side. Lacking our best attacking midfielder and centre forward, losing three starters during the game, just had to dig in and get it done. Didn’t enjoy it but few complaints.
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