Dowman ‘should’ have been in England squad – but Chelsea outcast is ‘arguably the most frustrated’ | OneFootball

Max Dowman is a literal child who has played one game for Arsenal this season – v Ipswich’s reserves – so he should be in the England squad.

Danny Welbeck ought to be even more furious, mind.

Careless whispers Spare a thought for John Cross on a difficult Friday morning presumably spent screaming at the survivors at the Daily Mirror website from his impossibly high horse about journalistic standards.

You see, these two headlines popped up in the early hours as part of their England squad coverage:

And everyone surely knows by now that ‘there have been no leaks. Instead, journalists, players and clubs do hear whispers. Leaks is a term used by people who don’t hear the whispers.’

Snub crawl Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were obviously picked by Thomas Tuchel, but might have a tough day themselves after this Sun website bombshell:

It truly is the mother of all snubbings when the co-owner of Inter Miami backs the star of Inter Miami to win an individual award when asked a question specifically about him.

Max volume In a week largely defined by a 15-year-old – and his entourage – kicking off at not yet being given his debut for Manchester actual United, let us all be grateful for Max Dowman and the way Arsenal have treated him the like the legal child he still is.

There is thankfully not too much noise surrounding him in an England context, no senior football writers insisting he must be called up immediately ahead of perhaps the most physically existing World Cup in history because reasons.

But there will always be a Jay Bothroyd on hand to just say stuff professionally for outlets like hot take factories like Sky Sports.

And that is how we get here:

Madueke probably was considered. That certainly is an example to give, though, considering he wasn’t named in the squad either.

Tuchel likely did look at Dowman, and thought, ‘Yep, there’s a 16-year-old whose only Arsenal appearance this season came in the Carabao against Ipswich’s reserves; maybe we shouldn’t needlessly rush him into playing for his country just yet when his career consists of literally one Premier League or Champions League start’.

Bothroyd continues:

It does seem very possible that Max Dowman could be the future of England. That doesn’t really explain why, in the present, England should look at the careful development plan enacted remarkably successfully by Arsenal thus far and decide that the care of duty for a 16-year-old is woke nonsense.

So why expedite that more sensible journey to the England first team? Why does his likely place in the Euro 2028 squad mean he absolutely has to be picked for the first post-World Cup 2026 selection? Is that really the most beneficial course of action for Dowman – for England – or are we just saying things for the sake of it?

The football world really isn’t equipped to deal with cases like these and it is painfully obvious.

Welb-endowed Dowman is not named among The Sun website‘s ‘Five most controversial England snubs as Tuchel continues to exile Maguire and Gibbs-White and ignores Chelsea star’, which does at least suggest that some elements of the media have not entirely lost their heads.

But when Danny Welbeck is not only among that quintet, but is described completely seriously as ‘arguably the most frustrated’ of a group including the same Morgan Gibbs-White who is in far better and more sustained form, it is a timely reminder that England squad announcements evoke by far the most absurd responses of any semi-regular football story on average.

Welbeck has played 15 minutes of Premier League football this season, managing to miss both of Chelsea’s wins. While that is at least more game time than Dowman, it is slightly weird that scoring twice in the Carabao Cup third round seems to be the most effective way to establish an England Clamour.

Worth the await On a similar subject…

‘A new star is born for Man City as Floyd Samba’s double steals the show, how Allan fared on his long-awaited debut and Enzo Maresca copies from the Pep Guardiola playbook in 5-0 thrashing of Norwich’ – MailOnline.

There were 17 days between Manchester City signing Allan and him making his debut. That cannot possibly meet the ‘long-awaited’ threshold.

All for one