📸 Too harsh on his youngster?! Star coach faces fierce criticism

📸 Too harsh on his youngster?! Star coach faces fierce criticism Last night’s big cup upset took place not in Germany, but in England. Fourth-tier Fleetwood Town beat Arsenal on penalties to reach the League Cup quarter-finals in historic fashion. Arsenal equalised after Fleetwood had led for much of the game, but lost the penalty shootout that followed immediately after normal time when Bruno Guimaraes lost his nerve from the spot. But the scapegoat of the evening was someone else. At least judging by Mikel Arteta’s expressions and gestures during the final flashpoint of the match. Just 16 years old, rising star Max Dowman lashed out after a heavy sliding tackle from an opponent, kicking Neal as he lay on the ground. He was shown a red card and sent for an early shower. Much to the 16-year-old’s dismay, his route to the dressing room took him straight past his manager. Arteta was far from happy about the sending-off. As his player walked past him towards the tunnel, he delivered a brief but forceful message, looking nothing like a manager trying to lift his player’s spirits. Instead, Arteta gave his youngster a proper dressing-down and fixed him with angry glares. 📸 Carl Recine - 2026 Getty Images After the match, he explained why: “When we prepared for the game, we were very clear about what we would face here and how we needed to keep our emotions in check.” He had therefore told Dowman “something we had already discussed before the game”. Arteta came in for plenty of criticism, not only online but also in the coverage following the stunning upset. Critics felt he had been too harsh on such a young player, who had lost his composure in that moment. Among them was former professional Jobi McAnuff, who did not mince his words in an interview with the ‘BBC’, saying Arteta had gone too far: “I didn’t like that at all. That didn’t look like a normal reaction to me; it felt like there was something more behind it.” What do you think? Is the criticism justified, and should Arteta have kept his anger at Dowman to himself for the time being? Or was it a fitting punishment for a needless act of violent conduct? Let us know in the comments! This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.