Would Mikel Arteta have reacted to a senior player the way he did to Max Dowman? I don’t think he would. Paul Merson questioned it, too. I cannot tell you exactly what Arteta said as the 16-year-old walked off at Fleetwood, but the anger on his face was clear enough. That was the reaction I didn’t like.

Dowman had already been sent off for England’s under-19s earlier in October, and Arteta said they had discussed what to expect before the Fleetwood game. That gives his frustration some context. It doesn’t change my view that he should have dealt with it behind closed doors.

I didn’t think Dowman’s reaction deserved a red card, either. The tackle on him was the incident that warranted one, in my opinion. What he did afterwards was less than Cole Palmer did in the first of his two bookable offences against Tottenham. Palmer showed more intent and received a yellow. That is the comparison, rather than the fact that he eventually got sent off as well.

Dowman looks as though he is going to be a top player. He will have to get used to being kicked and learn not to react, but I still think Arteta got this wrong.

None of that should take away from Fleetwood’s achievement. Eighty-four places below Arsenal in the league pyramid, yet through to the quarter-finals after beating them on penalties. What a win.

For Liverpool, Sunday’s meeting with Arsenal comes down to what they want this season to be. If they want to win the league, the very minimum is not to get beaten. Ideally, they need to win. They are on a good run, and victory would put them in the title race. I fancy Liverpool to win 2-1, with Isak to score.

Carrick does not look in control

It is not just a senior player publicly questioning Michael Carrick’s tactics. It is his captain. After United’s 4-1 defeat at Como, Bruno Fernandes questioned the decision not to press man-to-man. Carrick’s response was that, whatever the tactics, his team would not win if the players did not run back.

Do I think Carrick is telling his players to run? Of course I do. But are they listening? It certainly doesn’t look that way. That is why I think he looks even more out of his depth than he did last week: he does not appear to have control of his team.

The Premier League’s figures published on 27 October put United 18th for total distance covered and 17th for total sprints. Those numbers need context: Liverpool have covered the least ground but made the most sprints. Distance alone cannot tell us whether a team is playing well, or whether players are following instructions. But alongside the performances against Como and Bournemouth, the figures do nothing to reassure me that Carrick is getting what he wants.

I see the supporters’ backing of Carrick as a reflection of how much blame they place on the owners and directors. That doesn’t change what is happening on the pitch. United were completely outclassed in both those defeats, following the 4-1 loss in Italy with a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth.

Last season’s third-place finish is the obvious argument in Carrick’s favour. But Roy Keane’s distinction between being a caretaker and managing the club permanently is an important one. Doing well in the first role does not necessarily mean you are equipped for the second.

United have given Carrick more time, but it looks to me as though they are delaying his dismissal. Chelsea, Aston Villa and Liverpool are their next three league opponents. They are already only a point above the relegation zone. On what I have seen, I expect them to lose all three and drop into it.

What a week to be a Bournemouth fan

3-0 against AC Milan. 3-0 against Manchester United. 3-0 against Aston Villa. All within six days. What a time to be a Bournemouth fan.

I am impressed by the results, but also by how they keep signing good players, developing them and replacing them when they leave. Dean Huijsen cost £12.6m and went to Real Madrid for £50m. Antoine Semenyo arrived for around £10m and left for Manchester City in a deal worth up to £64m. Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi have gone for substantial fees, too.

Now Bournemouth have Alex Scott, Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Junior Kroupi. I think all four are good enough to play for any team in the Premier League. That doesn’t mean starting every week, but they are good enough to play at that level. I expect all four to be sold for considerably more than Bournemouth paid for them.

Their recruitment team is one of the best in the league. Marco Rose had a slow start, but things are picking up, and Andoni Iraola deserves credit for the foundations he left behind.

Go back fifteen years, when Bournemouth were in League One, and tell a supporter they would beat Milan, Manchester United and the reigning Europa League holders 3-0 within six days. What would they have thought? That is how far this club has come.

Kane gets what he deserves

Harry Redknapp’s recollection of Barry Hearn’s verdict on a young Harry Kane is worth remembering this week. The former Leyton Orient chairman thought Andros Townsend and Steven Caulker could make it at Tottenham, Redknapp said, but not Kane.

Now Kane has won the Ballon d’Or after scoring 73 goals for club and country last season. What a player, what a season, what a record.

Tim Sherwood, who later managed him at Tottenham, has made a similar point about his early years. Unlike Michael Owen, Kane was not an obvious superstar from the start. What he did have was a great attitude, and he has gone on to prove people wrong.

Professionalism is one of my favourite qualities in a footballer. Kane is a very likeable man, and I admire how he has dedicated his life to the game. From those early doubts about whether he would even make it at Tottenham to winning the Ballon d’Or, what an achievement.

He has got what he deserved.