Arsenal youngster Max Douman was sent off in Tuesday evening’s Carabao Cup fourth round defeat at Fleetwood Town.
Mikel Arteta’s frustration with Max Douman was palpable during Fleetwood’s three-minute old-school media tussle at the Highbury Stadium tunnel.
The Spaniard’s behavior since the 16-year-old’s sacking and the biggest League Cup failure in English football history has already told its story, but he threw in a few digs for good measure anyway.
“When we prepared the context of the match, we were very clear about what was expected – what we had to dominate emotionally and that was very clear,” Arteta said.
The Premier League champions boss then added: “Something we discussed before the game” as the fresh-faced teenager shouted down Dowman as he vacated the pitch.
Dowman was simply wrong to react and he paid the ultimate price for his inexperience. But that’s why the star-studded ball-flying champs lost, and because Harrison Neal’s scissor fight is dangerous, he needs to slow down a bit.
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Neal initially played the ball clear, but a strong chase could have easily damaged Dowman’s back leg as his leg was cramped.
Of course, there are more dignified ways to conduct yourself against League Two opposition, but the Hale End gem wouldn’t be human if they were willing to let such a fight slip away.
This dominance and confidence, in addition to his remarkable talent, is why he has risen to the top so quickly, as most young players remain in their shells.
And let’s not forget that Dowman damaged his ankle ligaments in a nasty challenge in a behind-closed-doors U21 friendly against Manchester United at St George’s Park last December.
While Arteta had every right to feel aggrieved by his player, he didn’t need the venomous touch.
It was felt that the 44-year-old used the controversial flashpoint to vent his frustration at his side’s disappointing performance as he admitted after the game that he didn’t even see what was happening.
Arsenal’s appeal shows a sense of internal injustice and the challenge also sends a strong message of support from the club to Dowman.
Unfortunately, the Gunners’ glorious record scorer had better get used to facing damaging challenges, as opponents will try to target him once he’s hit.
Incidents like this are unfortunately only part of the arc of development, but more worrying for Arsenal is that it was Dowman’s second red card of the month, as he was booked for England U19s in the 2-1 defeat to USA in Marbella.
With his exceptional dribbling ability and agility, he is bound to get kicked as that is the only way some defenders can get close to him.
He is not an angry character, but now he must understand the consequences of his actions. Likewise, he needs protection from both his coaches and officials.
Wayne Rooney, a hot topic after his box-office success on Merseyside, played just 10 times for Everton before turning 17, while Dowman has already made 18 senior appearances for Arsenal in all competitions.
Those numbers should serve as confirmation that he’s destined to be a superstar, so it’s hard to understand the fuss about him being a villain.