Henry Winter

as the post says, he shouldn't have kicked out. It's just about the priorities of the game's custodians, ie bad tackles, bad reffing. I understand this inevitably becomes a tribal club/club thing, that's football, but really the protection of players should be an issue for all

that was not a "perfectly fine" tackle, Nathan.

This is really poor by @FA. The governing body is supposed to protect players. It should be disputing this regulatory commission verdict by members drawn from the FA judicial panel. Max Dowman could have suffered a bad injury to his standing leg from a dangerous challenge which went unpunished. Arsenal 16-year-old shouldn’t have reacted but his frustration was understandable. Some other players might have rolled around and ensured a bad challenge was punished. Dowman didn’t. He doesn’t stay down. The FA should have shown some understanding towards Dowman. Instead, it has suspended him for three games. FA priorities all wrong: tolerating a poor challenge and some weak refereeing but punishing a kid who objected to a bad challenge that could have dealt him a serious injury. Protect players. #AFC

Joe Gomez and Wesley Fofana. Two players, two stories. Column. #LFC #CFC henrywinterfootball.substack…

Iraola clearly values him, Deborah, and already using him shrewdly and he will learn so much in training let alone games. Going to be fascinating watching him develop. Good luck Sunday.

Another very promising performance from Trey Nyoni. Nurtured by Leicester, now flourishing at Liverpool. Unfazed facing Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia of Chelsea last night. 19-year-old midfielder, impressing at 6 (can play 8), and clearly trusted by team-mates to take the ball under pressure. Kept taking up intelligent positions, occasionally splitting centre-backs or dropping into space for a pass from Virgil van Dijk. Composed distribution encouraged further by Andoni Iraola, who wants Nyoni to be progressive in his passing, picking out the forwards when opportunity shows. Nyoni's qualities also include balance, press-resistance and fearlessness. Some well-timed interventions, including on Morgan Rogers, then turning away with the ball from Lavia. Dummy to deceive Valentin Barco. Impressed in pre-season, developing well under Iraola, good alternative to Ryan Gravenberch when required. Also progressing through England age-groups: 16s, 17s, 18s, 19s, 20s and called into 21s earlier this month. Nyoni only 19, still developing and will learn so much around Van Dijk and others. Hugely promising future. #LFC

Underperforming, uninspiring squad urgently needing strengthening. Carrick definitely cares. Good luck Sunday

Saw another stuttering one fail tonight Gordon.

Hope he gets through but these three fixtures are an assault course

Joe Gomez - what a penalty. Emphatic. Wesley Fofana - what a poor penalty. Into the Kop. Crazy shootout. Liverpool through. #CarabaoCup #LIVCHE

Others would have rolled around. I like his attitude. Also like that the Club are appealing. Backing him.

Agreed, part of his development and learning. And he’s tough physically and mentally. But that was not a good challenge. And good for the Club for appealing. Whether they win or not, it’s good they’re supporting him.

Thanks Beth, much appreciated coming from someone as thoughtful as you. And very belated congrats on the Marathon 🙌

Jack so pleased for you. Brilliant what you and the team have done. I’ll DM you 👍

Thanks, Chris, he has a big future as everyone can see. Glad the club are appealing.

Michael Carrick is in positive mood, focused, and determined to turn Manchester United fortunes around. But the club he loves, United, is divided. Christian Purslow & I examine recruitment and ownership issues @FootyBoardroom #MUFC youtu.be/FMNsmoZNDR8 open.spotify.com/episode/6ZI…

Max Dowman: some thoughts. A little bit of understanding and support would not go amiss for a targeted teenager who wants to play the game the right way, who doesn’t roll around on the ground when struck by a bad challenge, and he gets hit by a few. Officials take note. Coaches take note. There’s a balance with young talents of toughening them up physically and mentally while protecting them. There's a balance between admonishment for a mistake and encouragement to learn. Everyone wants to see Dowman fulfil his huge potential and develop into a major player for Arsenal and, eventually, England. Dowman is a special young talent, still only 16, still with the ink drying on his GCSE papers. He's still a kid, still learning. There have been (premature) calls for Dowman to be fast-tracked into England Under-21s, even the seniors. A month ago Thomas Tuchel and Lee Carsley conferred on Dowman and sensibly agreed his development would best be served by games with the Under-19s. “Max is always in the conversation because of his talent,” Carsley said. That talent has seen Dowman become the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer, become the youngest player in the Champions League, and also get targeted. He gets a kicking, nine times in an Under-19s international against Spain last year. On returning to Arsenal, Dowman was encouraged by his manager Mikel Arteta to learn from Bukayo Saka about the art of dealing with such aggression. It was all about avoiding contact and “to learn when to release the ball”. Arteta also praised Dowman’s “football IQ” with the “super smart” way he makes decisions, praise indeed. It’s impressive in one so young. His two red cards this month, one for England Under-19s against the USA behind closed doors in Marbella and now for Arsenal against Fleetwood Town, need placing in context. Trend or blip? Dowman, who usually has a composed temperament, suffered a number of robust challenges from the USA when he snapped and put in a strong challenge of his own. Some of those present in the game felt it was only a yellow. Dowman's not a petulant player, but his frustration spilled over at the aggression put in on him. Similar to last night. There were some robust League Two challenges going in from Fleetwood players on the English champions' winger, testing his temperament, and after 85 minutes he reacted. The focus was on his silly kick out towards Harrison Neal, a soft red but still a red under the Laws, when the focus should also have been on Neal’s challenge which could have injured Dowman. No card was issued against Neal. Michael Salisbury is an experienced referee, 16 years on the list, including now five years in the Premier League. Like all officials, Salisbury has a duty of care to all players to ensure they are not put at risk by bad challenges. Neal got the ball but the force and pace of his follow-through endangered Dowman, whose standing foot was momentarily trapped. Dowman, any player, deserved some protection from challenges like that. He also deserved some compassion from Arteta. It’s one thing having strong words in passing if a senior player was trooping off, red-carded, down the tunnel. But Dowman is 16, probably still fuming with the tackle on him, and frustration at dismissal and inevitable feeling of letting the team down. Dowman didn’t need the most important person in his professional life, Arteta, to compound his misery with a frosty few words as he headed towards the tunnel. He's 16. He wasn't being petulant. He was reacting to a bad challenge. Maybe Arteta was trying to make the point again about Dowman having to withstand such tackles, and not reacting. Arteta told reporters after the game that he had spoken pre-match to Dowman and the other players of the need for emotional control in such an intense occasion. Fair enough, Dowman will learn. Whatever Arteta's frustration, it felt harsh and small-minded by such a successful, established manager. Officials take note too. It’s worth recalling that Arteta’s club contacted the authorities when they felt Saka was being targeted with bad challenges. Talents - all players - deserve protection. #AFC

The Hand of Cod. Good save from Fleetwood keeper Jay Lynch. Hate those stuttering pens, though. Poor from Bruno Guimaraes. Contrast to the Fleetwood pens, calm, expert. Arsenal out. Congratulations to Fleetwood Town #CarabaoCup

Heavy challenge by Neal on Dowman, welcome to L2 tackling, probably given as a red in PL, could have trapped Dowman’s planted leg. 16-year-old reacted, kicked Neal, sent off, can’t complain. Not a lot of sympathy from Arteta. Disappointing. Kid could have done with some support.