"We are not at Disneyland": Arteta reveals the behind-the-scenes of his outburst with Arsenal's gem
Mikel Arteta has lifted the lid on the sending-off storm surrounding 16-year-old prospect Max Dowman, while delivering the latest on Arsenal's injury list ahead of Sunday's heavyweight trip to Anfield in the ninth round of the Premier League.
The Spaniard cut an agitated figure the moment Dowman saw red against Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup last 16. Asked about it by "Sky Sports", he said: "My reaction came in a moment of great agitation and frustration because I know the consequences that follow from it, especially for Max. This is something we discussed right before we went out onto the pitch because it is not the first time. It happened earlier this month with the England Under-19 side, and it will continue to happen because of the way he plays and draws in opponents."
On his relationship with the teenager, Arteta added: "We have to be able to tell each other what we think. He is 16 years old, and we have to protect him strongly, and at the same time we must be clear and direct with him about what we expect of him towards the team, his team-mates and the club. There are no problems between us, and we spoke together yesterday."
Did the manager agree with the criticism aimed at his touchline reaction? "I did not follow the reactions to my response, whether positive or negative," he explained. "You have to understand the context and the nature of the relationship I have with him, and what we talked about together before we went out onto the pitch."
Drawing on his own upbringing, Arteta continued: "If you had seen the reaction of my father and my mother with me at certain times, you would say that we do not like this treatment, but for me it was the best reaction of all, because it is what made my character and made me what I am today."
He then brushed aside any demand for a softer touch: "You are looking for the nicest and most perfect reaction, but did you want to see the reaction of his team-mates when they have to finish the match with only 10 players? What do you expect? This is the level required and this is the natural reaction, whether it is right or wrong. And even about myself, when I do not win, my reaction is angry and frustrated to the utmost degree."
His final word on the matter cut straight to the reality of elite football: "This is the competitive environment and that is the truth. We are not at Disneyland, we are playing in the Premier League. We care a great deal about him, but at the same time we demand many duties from him, because he needs to earn the opportunity to play through his effort, otherwise what will the rest of the players in the team say to me?"
The Gunners boss did not hide his anger after Arsenal's appeal to overturn Dowman's dismissal was thrown out. "I feel great disappointment, especially given the violent challenges he was subjected to," he said. "His reaction was at its minimum compared to the foul committed against him, and the challenges could have ended very badly, and we are lucky today that he did not suffer a broken foot."
Turning to his options for Sunday, Arteta ran through the casualty list. On Noni Madueke, he said: "We do not know his situation yet. We have a training session tomorrow, and we will see whether he can complete the session in full to assess his readiness."
Bukayo Saka's situation remains unclear. "He needed to have another scan to find out the extent of the damage and whether the tendon has been affected and the size of that effect, and after that we will know more," Arteta explained.
Will the winger miss up with England? "I do not know, it seems that way, but we have to wait and see what next week brings," he added.
There was brighter news on Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Christos Tzolis. "They all trained today and will train tomorrow," Arteta confirmed, "and if things go well they will be available to take part."
