In the second half of his pre-Brighton press conference, Mikel Arteta talked about how the club are integrating Max Dowman, why they have to be conscious of the load and pressure they put on the 15-year-old and what the future holds for him. The manager also fielded questions on how he motivates his defenders and Martin Zubimendi’s adaptation.
On whether Dowman needs more exposure or if he’s happy with his development this season…
Well, I am [happy], because I think what we have designed for him for the first few months, it’s happening at the moment. And when we have to give him games, whether he was in the Youth Cup and whether he was with the under-23s, whether it was with us [the first team], he has that, he has a lot of exposure, minutes in training with us as well. We really have to manage his load, he’s 15 years old, he’s still growing, it’s a lot of things that we have to make sure that are under control to make sure that he develops in the way that he can do.
On using the first four months of the season to ease Dowman into the first team environment…
Yeah, especially because it’s a lot of new things that are happening to him, I mean he played with the national team [at under-19 level], and he has to play with two different group ages as well, and with us, two different group ages, and train with the first team, and then prepare the games with another team, it’s a lot, so we have to manage that. He’s going to play minutes with us, for sure, and when he has the chance to do that, he needs to take that like everybody else.
On how he weighs up Dowman’s talent against him bein only 15…
Yeah…if we look at his passport every day, we never play him, it’s as simple as that. But when you look at what he does in training, you have to play him, and if not, you are blind, or I’m blind, so it’s finding that balance again, and understanding, especially the load, the things that are changing in his life, and make sure when we throw him in there, he’s in the right context with the right players, and he can cope with that. So far, I think he’s done it, and he’s done it really well.
On Dowman agreeing scholarship terms and wanting to stay at Arsenal in the long-term…
That’s what we all want, I think that’s what he wants as well, and I think after that, that [the contract] is more for Andrea [Berta] and the club to reach that [agreement]. But the feeling that I have, genuinely, is that he loves it, he is a huge Arsenal supporter, and his family [too]. I think they are really, really happy with the way things are developing around him as well, so hopefully for many years he will be with us.
On whether he’s scared of losing Dowman when the time comes to sign a professional contract…
I don’t think about those things, because I think everything that I get from the player, the family has been very, very positive.
On whether he says anything unorthodox to motivate his defenders to maintain their great run…
Don’t talk too much about it, keep working, keep focussing on the things that we’re doing, certain things that constantly we have to tweak, and adapt to every match, and make sure that they’re loving that feeling of being very, very solid, very difficult to beat and [not] concede goals, and that’s a huge platform to win games.
On whether he’s said anything to fellow Spaniard Zubimendi to help him adapt to the Premier League…
Yeah, we all try to give him our experiences and obviously the tools that he needs, the environment that he needs, but to do it so quickly in this league, it’s very, very difficult as we all know, and he’s doing it, and now he needs to maintain that and raise the level.
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