Amy Elise Mercer

This unbelievable donation arrived in the post to us this week and it has me truly speechless. To donate something so special purchased by someone so important is so selfless and kind This donation did not arrive with a contact address so if this is from you please let us know❤

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

"Maybe we became arrogant." "We struggle everywhere." Nordi Mukiele shares his honest views after Sunderland's defeat to Bournemouth 🗣️

Hear me out, can we just see Brobbey and Isidor starting together. Just for a sec.

Understand #EFC will cover up to 90 per cent of Grealish's #MCFC wages. Deal now advancing following last week's exclusive that he wanted to go back and reunite with David Moyes.

🤩 Our first opponent has been revealed! The Mackems in Milan.

🔴⚪️ Love this quote from Regis Le Bris in his #SAFC presser this afternoon: 🗣️ “They said we would finish midtable in the Championship, we were promoted. They said we would be relegated by Christmas, we finished seventh. We will keep doing things the Sunderland way...” 🤯 Bafflingly, I’ve already seen so many people write Sunderland off this season. It’s like they haven’t watched the club in the last few years…

🚨 Sunderland will not be selling Wilson Isidor this summer, despite interest from a host of clubs (West Ham in particular). ❌ Told #SAFC will not entertain offers for the Haiti international. ⚽️The striker remains an integral part of SAFC’s squad ahead of the PL / Europa season & are excited to see him build on a fine World Cup.

BREAKING: Qatar Football Association release a statement supporting Gianni Infantino 🚨