'It's challenging' - Manchester United 'working on' solution to tactical mistake they made vs West Ham
Man Utd scored late to rescue a draw against West Ham United on Tuesday night.
Michael Carrick admits Manchester United made a tactical mistake in their 1-1 draw with West Ham on Tuesday night.
United's winning start under Carrick came to an end at the London Stadium, though Benjamin Sesko's late strike was enough to ensure that their unbeaten run extended to nine matches. There was a noticeable drop-off in performance levels from United, but West Ham also deserve credit for their well-drilled defensive work, which left opportunities at a premium.
Carrick named an unchanged side from the weekend win over Tottenham Hotspur but had to turn to his bench to change the match as Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee added extra firepower in attack. United's best moments came in the closing stages of the clash and Carrick admits they played with too much caution against West Ham.
Carrick admits tactical mistake
Michael Carrick believes Manchester United got their balance slightly wrong as they were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham in the Premier League. United enjoyed 65% possession during the draw, but found it difficult to create chances against an opponent who were happy to sit back and soak up pressure.
United will need to work on their ability to break down opponents if they are to secure Champions League qualification at the end of the season, and Carrick claims they will work on finding a solution over the coming weeks.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, the United head coach was asked how difficult it is to create chances against a team that adopts a low-block. "It’s challenging," he admitted. "We’re all craving for it (forward passes). We want these moments when we can open them up.
"It’s the balance of a team who are so dangerous on turnovers, and they can attack so fast. It’s the balance of risking a pass. As much as you want to progress you’ve got to be in a position to manage the game and have an element of control. We went a bit too far towards control tonight, but that’s something we’ll work on."
Carrick also admitted United probably did not get their attacking balance correct in the match, as their fluid frontline struggled to cause problems against a disciplined defence. He added: "There is a bit on different games and the situations and how we want to attack, what the game looks like. We probably didn’t quite get the balance right for the first part of the game, that happens, teams are allowed to stop it."
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