6 Comments

Really appreciate the part about questions outside of narratives and headlines. I feel like mainstream media covering football has slid too far on the narrativising scale. Often feels like we miss the "meat and bones" of the game(i.e what happens on the pitch) in an effort to frame what happens within a larger narrative of catchy headline. I understand the utility of covering football that way but I think its honestly to the detriment of discourse about football and the way more generalist fans interact with the game. Sometimes complexities of a performance are flattened for the sake of fitting into a grand narrative to be spun(see the men's team this season).Appreciate that you give us something a bit different to what we would see on more mainstream outlets.

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Really interesting, Tim, and gives me tips on what to look out for in a game. I expect that other journalists, especially those who usually cover the opponents, find you a really useful person to talk to to get useful information on Arsenal!

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Have to say, I'm personally glad you don't do on the whistle reports. While I respect anyone who can file one of these (I definitely couldn't) I've never got any info from one that I couldn't have got in more detail a few hours/or a day later. Stands to reason something can be crafted better if one has a little more time.

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Thanks Tim, you've provided a real insight into the world of sports reporting. I'm also impressed by the way you manage to rub your tummy with one hand, whilst patting your head with the other all at the same time!

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Just out of curiosity, what was the reason you settled on that "Arsenal simply did not mark or press Jess Carter whatsoever in possession" during that Conti Cup final?

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Not to put words in Tim's mouth, but if memory serves, Carter was basically the Chelsea CB who was never going to hurt us on the ball, while Kadeisha Buchanan can be a problem if you let her dribble out from the back, so we had to take away her space quickly.

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