"The first thing you need to do is find a photo of Rasmus Hjlund looking happy in a Napoli shirt. There you are. Now you find a photo of Benjamin Sesko looking sad in a Manchester United shirt. Like he's just missed an open goal. No, obviously you don't need to find a photo of him missing an open goal. The less context here, the better. Now pop the photos side by side. Overlay the goal stats in big buffoonish font. Don't forget the emojis."
"Nor will you mention that four of Hjlund's goals have come against Belarus and Greece, or the fact that Denmark are a much better team than Slovenia and create many more chances. You run socials for a big media brand, pure liquid engagement is what puts food on your table, United are the biggest meal of all, and as ever, context will be your sworn enemy."
"Your next job is to scan the 44-minute interview Peter Schmeichel gave to a BBC podcast and find the bit where he talks about the signing of Sesko being weird. There's a bit just before he says that, where Schmeichel pre-qualifies his comments with the words: I have nothing bad to say about Benjamin Sesko yeah, strip that bit out. Nobody needs that. Just make sure you get weird and Sesko together in the headline. People will be furious."
Social-media teams fabricate side-by-side player images and exaggerated stats to maximise clicks, often omitting competition level and opposition quality. Contextual details such as Champions League goals or weaker opponents are deliberately ignored to craft provocative narratives. Selective editing of commentators' quotes amplifies controversy by stripping qualifying remarks. The emphasis on pure engagement reduces nuanced player assessment to snackable outrage. Mid-autumn offers tactical freshness and emerging stars, but sensational coverage flattens complexity and undermines accurate understanding of player performance and team quality.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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