</3

The latest chapter in one man's ongoing meltdown as he attempts to come to terms with what sportswashing is doing to his brain

A story of monsters, Dan Ballard, and the evil in Manchester City

A story of monsters, Dan Ballard, and the evil in Manchester City

Beyond Man City, other clubs which profit directly from emirati patronage should ask themselves some inconvenient questions; and if they do not of their own accord, we fans should be pressuring them into doing so. These other clubs very much include Arsenal FC. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

if it had to be someone I'm really glad it was Dan Ballard

Here's my Arsenal long-read, just for you. Attacking back-fives, analytics, tactics, a deeper look at what has (and hasn't) changed, and a whole lot more.

I didn't make a fuss sharing Redstory this week because I was really nervous to be apparently the only football writer in the world talking about this, so it's nice to see others take a swing

Finally, I’ve put everything together to provide a primer on the @scoutedftbl.com Archetypes project so far. It’s not finished, it’s constantly evolving. But now there is a reference point for the Archetypes themselves and the methodology. Here you go:

Once you start thinking of AI as a war on humanity, on human thought, on human inquiry, on human labor, on nuance and critical thinking, it slots in pretty seamlessly with the right wing ideological project, oligarchical political projects, big tech's political projects, etc

for the ~three Redstory readers invested in the winter arc, here's where I'm at: closing in on a stone down since I began on September 1, and two-ish from my heaviest point last year

i'm not crying you're crying

A big Redstory about the thing none of us are looking at while we argue about set pieces

don't usually go in for the fanbaiting drama stuff but I find the way Trent has been treated by Liverpool fans just so unbelievably cringe and embarrassing

A big Redstory about the thing none of us are looking at while we argue about set pieces

And the salve: “Some moments teach one the price of human connection: if one can live with one’s own pain, then one respects the pain of others, and so, briefly, but transcendentally, we can release each other’s pain.”

Did not expect one of the best paragraphs I’d read about baseball would come from an Irish newspaper www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...

If a player gets the @llewdavies.bsky.social ‘Introducing’ treatment, take note. Llew flagged Said El Mala during the U-19 EURO and I’ve piggy-backed off that ever since. This is one of the most destructive dribblers in Europe. It’s his first-ever top-flight season.

New Redstory: on writer's block, hitting the wall, and the quiet power of being really fucking boring

mikel merino when it's time to do some weird touch that has 1/100000 chance of coming off

i think it's really important we don't forget Ethan Nwaneri a) is 18 and b) has truly disgusting levels of sauce

i think it's really important we don't forget Ethan Nwaneri a) is 18 and b) has truly disgusting levels of sauce

New Redstory: on writer's block, hitting the wall, and the quiet power of being really fucking boring

Deep in the grind

It gets harder and harder every week. Liverpool and City lose. 3 points, another clean sheet. Top. Of. The. League. COME ON YOU GUNNERS!

Tom is incredible

funny, I thought I nailed the timing on this because I expected Atleti to fit the same pattern of joyless, gruelling repetition - lol

fighting for my life not to say it

Yeah…that’s very, very @scoutedftbl.com

Hi. I wrote an essay about AI slop: How it feels like an invasive species for the internet. How its boosters describe building a future that’s devoid of craft. How frictionlessness can be nihilistic & how this stuff seems to leach part of our shared humanity out of the world. I hope you'll read it.

A story of demons, rhythm, and Riccardo Calafiori the fever dream

On the same day I sit down to write my main piece of writing for the week, @tomoc.bsky.social is doing the same and producing this. This is writing. These are the foggin estandards. I’m extremely grateful he takes the time to use this mind to improve my work. open.substack.com/pub/redstory...

look sometimes i dont get enough sleep

The metaphor at the end of this piece is perfect for how it feels to watch Arsenal right now. Easy to complain about it not being very fun to watch Arsenal atm, but every dull set piece win is another step towards the goal of a title. It might not be pretty, but if we get there, we won't care

A story of demons, rhythm, and Riccardo Calafiori the fever dream

why didn't you just try to win, Arne?

Hi, I'm working on poorly drawn arsenal becoming less social media reliant. You can make that happen by subscribing to my free newsletter!

He moved like water: an ode to Abou Diaby, the man who defied time

A. Maz. Ing.

Yeah, lovely stuff again, this.

smashing john terry in his fat head

He moved like water: an ode to Abou Diaby, the man who defied time

I have 3 tickets for Wild Style at @princecharlescinema.com tonight, 20:45. Sadly we can't make it! £18 fv @lffstubs.bsky.social

my grandfather died two days before a final paper was due in a class I had 15% attendance in. I wrote the essay in a day at my parent's home with my grieving grandmother. I got a first. suck my ass

"...as long as Viktor Gyokeres has four long arms wrapped around him that might otherwise be grappling with Bukayo Saka, he is making a marked and significant difference..." Yep. 100%

This is really good. After reading the first paragraph I can't help but wonder if the whole fanbase collectively thought this in silence... Because I did.

DON'T SAY IT

A must read 👏👏