Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has reiterated his uncompromising approach to discipline and accountability, revealing that teenage sensation Max Dowman was not spared criticism following a recent match.
Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s crucial Premier League showdown with Liverpool, Arteta stressed that being young does not place any player above the standards expected within his squad.
The Spaniard explained that emerging talents must quickly embrace the demands and competitive pressures of elite football if they hope to earn regular opportunities.
“This is the environment, this is the reality. We are not in Disneyland, we are in the Premier League. We look after him so much, but at the same time we’re going to be demanding, because he needs to earn the right to play, just like everybody else, because the other boys, what are they going to say to me?
“You need to be fair.. and when we don’t win, I’m p***** off. My reaction came from a moment of heat and extreme frustration, because I know the consequences of that, especially for Max.
“It’s something we discussed just before we went out because it’s not the first time it’s happened, it happened another time with the England Under-19s. And it’ll continue to happen because of the way he plays and the way he attracts opponents and that’s it.”
