iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Yeah Saka and Havertz both have great middle distance speed but lack that separation burst of acceleration. Is always funny when people don’t realise that both are really quick though

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

It’s early on but the difference in fluidity, general cogency and all round intention in our attacking play so far this year is very refreshing. Desperately need to keep Havertz, Ødegaard and Saka healthy.

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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

Think Konsa will go RB in that scenario, which will be fine on the defensive side but yeah, his crosses are poison. Attacking RB (White when fit) opens up so much for us, a shame it’s overlooked against solidity

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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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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I’m the most broken of records on Gyok but essentially putting your rep on the line to overrule a whole dept to sign him (esp cos if they’d left him he’d have gone to United and we’d have had a clearer run at Sesko) should lead to never being allowed to work in football again

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Think we’re still very well placed to be favourites, bit of dismay about the forward line, but in terms of actual anger it was clear this guy was a bozo last summer (possibly earlier based on Atleti) and we’ve given him the keys to do nothing

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

We’re also having to sell Martinelli, likely without a replacement - which they briefed absolutely wouldn’t happen - because he overruled the scouting dept to sign that oaf and bought Eze in a wild panic. Forward line now arguably weaker (assuming no signings)

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

He’s a complete cod, need him out ASAP. But fortunately I think he won’t be here next year

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Reposted by Michael Keshani

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

Hot damn, cheers! Will be messaging in proper review tomorrow am

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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

And then we have the large one: the forwards. It’s the only area of the team where there’s an actual quality issue, and we’re playing a dangerous game if we think we can do set piece and pray again to break games open. A LW, a CF, both? If only one, which? open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Then moved onto the situation in midfield. Bruno is an absolute dream of a signing, and Arteta really needs to show trust in the squad. And what do we do about the fact that more often than not, Eze hasn’t actually done anything? open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...

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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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Reposted by Michael Keshani

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

I see what you mean, but I q like him broadly. Ideally balanced with a more attacking RB than Timber (or physically more up to it than current White 😭). Think as well cos the squad’s issues are quality and MLS has had a poor year it’s quite retroactively justified it (so far at least)

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

One extra addition here - there’s only one section of me being incredibly predictable and complaining about Gyökeres.

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Gyökeres is a disastrous footballer so it does make everyone else worse by association as it’s so much harder to play with him. Other big issue is Norgaard, Arteta thinking he’s not good enough means we’ve run Rice/Zubi into the ground. I think he’s better than his mins but a horrible fit regardless

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

After Bournemouth I was complaining to friends that we’ve had maybe 5(?) convincing league performances all season, and somehow now we’re up to 6 after losing the biggest one. Bournemouth, Forest, Liverpool x2, Wolves, Brentford, United - if we don’t win it that’s where we look, not yesterday.

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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 · 13/04/2026

It’s relative. Sometimes you’re better than your results, sometimes it’s the other way. For his may flaws, Arteta is exceptional at the first 2/3 of a season and we were built on a really good base of stability. That base now is too knackered to bail us out of the deficient forward play

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

What we’ve been hasn’t worked most of the season, which should’ve been obvious to everyone, particularly the management. With the relative cushion, maybe we’ve caught the stumble in enough time and he can adapt just enough. But it’s hope more than expectation.

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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

Don’t much disagree there, but it’s made a lot worse by having a terrible footballer leading the line. It’s also fair to say having Martinelli LW with him helps neither of them and Eze 10 helps neither either but I’d also say a decent CF doesn’t have anywhere near as many problems in that setup

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

On the positive end, and possibly the only positive, Madueke was very good. Idk if we can ever get that out of him consistently but the directness he brings really adds something different. Would be v tempted to start him RW and shift Saka back to 10 on the weekend.

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Didn’t say it was. In the first bit that you replied to up there I said it’s not the only problem by any stretch. But I don’t see the point of going to bat for an atrocious footballer

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

I’m the most broken of records but that was one of his better games cos he managed to do some basics (simple passing, not losing the ball with every touch) but at the cost of contributing literally anything else

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

He’s absolute shit and he makes us a lot worse. Saka was disastrous today and so was Martinelli. All things are true. One is an incredibly consistent pattern.

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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 · 13/02/2026

100% the best it’s been for us yday. But then he misplaced literally >50% of his passes. Still nothing in the air. And as you say, couldn’t make separation from defenders. And we still really struggle getting the ball trough middle when we’re dominating territorially. Just too many issues at once

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Don’t disagree but problem I kept coming back to with him yday was along the lines of ‘he was pretty good but he is pretty bad’. Not front and centre for my blame but it was eye opening to speak to the non AFC lot in that moment haha

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Have had a thing with a couple of non-Arsenal mates with saying I thought it was Gyok’s best all round game for us (maybe Newcastle), and they’ve independently just gone ‘really?!’ Another 0 shot and over half passes misplaced - have our expectations just been massively lowered?!

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

I’m not anti big Mik but think optics wise it’s very difficult for either of the current two to come back from having him preferred to them as a legitimate CF option (though if there were ever a week to do it…). I’d choose to believe that, I just miss him so much

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Have the same worries re GJ but United were absolutely rapid and effective on the break last week so they’re def gonna look even more to sit in and strike, so think we really need Tross/Eze and GJ cos we just can’t afford to lose the ball and be vulnerable on break. Buildup needs to be crisper too

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Appreciate that 😂 Unfortunately I take every piece of actual writing I do far too seriously to be my true, hateful self in them

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Said to a mate a while ago that I see a series of increasingly subsidised loans until he's a year out from his deal ending and we reach an agreement lol

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Thought he might be one where I could really embrace the scrappy goaler but there are no bloody goals to do it with. He moves like a haddock

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Does kinda kill me that we didn't even need a world class 9 to push on, just a decent one, and we got an absolutely terrible one instead

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Honestly, I'm not convinced there is. Fitness asterisk with Wilson but he's still outscored him despite being old, on a pay-as-you-play and at West Ham. Really like Strand Larsen as well, and that's just the teams at the bottom ffs

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Michael Keshani @michaelkeshani.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

I also just got back to my personal laptop and shut loads of FotMob tabs. Now that fucking article is written I never have to look at them again. Also finished a big work thing and got to close loads of tabs on that laptop. I feel a million dollars.

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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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