# Arsenal Legend Ray Parlour Urges Max Dowman to Show Character After Red Card > Ray Parlour told 16-year-old Max Dowman to bounce back and prove his character after the straight red for retaliating against Harrison Neal in Arsenal's Carabao Cup loss to Fleetwood. - Publisher: Briefzora (https://briefzora.com) - URL: https://briefzora.com/arsenal-legend-ray-parlour-urges-max-dowman-to-show-character-after-red-card - Published: 2026-10-29T22:55:30+05:00 - Author: Briefzora Desk (https://briefzora.com/author/briefzora-desk) - Section: Politics - Image: https://briefzora.com/uploads/2026/10/arsenal-icon-fires-max-dowman-warning-and-urges-teen-to-show-his-char-f1enf1.webp ## Key points - Max Dowman, 16, received a straight red for retaliating against Harrison Neal in Arsenal's Carabao Cup loss to Fleetwood. - The FA dismissed Arsenal's appeal, imposing a three-match ban on Dowman. - Ray Parlour urged the youngster to learn from the incident and return as a better player. - Dowman's suspension means he will miss Arsenal's upcoming match at Liverpool. - Parlour highlighted the importance of not losing to Liverpool as Arsenal chase back-to-back titles. ## Why it matters The ban sidelines a promising academy prospect ahead of a crucial Premier League clash, while the veteran's advice underscores Arsenal's focus on resilience as they chase a historic title double. ## Article Ray Parlour has appealed to Max Dowman to "show his character" and recover from the straight red he received for retaliating against Harrison Neal during Arsenal's Carabao Cup defeat to Fleetwood on Tuesday night. The Gunners lodged an appeal, but the FA dismissed it, confirming a three-match suspension for the 16-year-old. Parlour, a three-time Premier League champion who rose through Arsenal's academy like Dowman, told SunSport the youngster should "come back as a better player" after serving his ban. He said, "You're going to make mistakes here and there. I thought it was a little bit unlucky, if I'm being honest. He's been sent off and the manager will have a couple of words with him. He's 16 years old, people forget that, he's still a young boy. Being a footballer is like a rollercoaster ride. You're going to have highs and lows. He had a high when he scored against Everton and he would be really disappointed on that coach back [from Fleetwood]." Parlour added, "But, that's when you've got to show your character and say, 'I'll learn from that and come back a better player.' I'm sure he'll be fine. He's got a really good family around him. He's got everybody going in the right direction. He's going to hopefully be a superstar. He's a brilliant player, we all know that. But you're going to get your little blips in your career. And he's certainly, that was one of his blips early in his career. I'm sure he'll learn from it." Parlour, who made 465 appearances for Arsenal, recalled his own first red card at 28 and the apology he made to teammates after being sent off against Newcastle United in 2001. He explained, "You always feel really guilty if you lose the game. If you win the game, you get away with it and you get through. You can get away with it a little bit more. But I remember we lost to Newcastle 3-1 when I got sent off in the first half. You're really disappointed after the game. I apologised to the guys. But I did get the ball, and it shouldn't have been sent off, if they had VAR I wouldn't have got sent off." Dowman's suspension means he will miss Arsenal's challenging trip to Anfield on Sunday. Parlour warned that Arsenal cannot afford another loss at Liverpool, stating, "You just can't lose the game at Liverpool. That's the most important thing. A point wouldn't be a bad point, but if you can win a game, great. But just don't lose it." Speaking at the launch of Oakley Meta's new film 'We Go Again', Parlour linked the campaign's message to Arsenal's need to recover from the Fleetwood upset and pursue a second consecutive league title. He noted, "It is a different game now, Liverpool away, compared to Fleetwood. Fleetwood, credit to them, they did really well. They stayed in the game and managed to get through, which is fantastic for their club. But the best thing you could ever do when you do get a disappointment, is bounce back straight away. Before the international break, you don't want to be losing that sort of game with three weeks off. You want a game to come around pretty quickly to get it right. This is a perfect game for it, Liverpool away. If they can somehow get a result then everybody forgets about Fleetwood - that's how football works." ## Frequently asked questions ### Why was Max Dowman sent off against Fleetwood? He was shown a straight red card for retaliating to a heavy tackle from Harrison Neal. ### How long is Max Dowman's suspension? The FA confirmed a three-game suspension after rejecting Arsenal's appeal. ### Will Max Dowman play against Liverpool? No, his ban means he will be unavailable for Arsenal's trip to Anfield. --- When citing, please link to https://briefzora.com/arsenal-legend-ray-parlour-urges-max-dowman-to-show-character-after-red-card and name Briefzora as the source.