Michael Carrick has urged the Premier League to address the increasing use of grappling at set-pieces, describing the current situation as having 'gone too far'. The Manchester United interim manager highlighted recent matches involving his side, where opponents Arsenal and Everton placed significant pressure on young goalkeeper Senne Lammens during corner kicks.
Carrick noted that Lammens, who has shown maturity and confidence in dealing with these challenges, described the set-piece battles as 'war' in the Premier League this season. The chaos in the six-yard box was particularly evident during United's recent fixtures, with Arsenal's 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday being decided entirely by goals from corners.
Speaking about the issue, Carrick said: 'It wasn't long ago where we were told that you couldn't really lay a hand on anybody in the box, and it was going to be stamped out. And it's crept in, it's gotten stronger. The success of set pieces, corners in particular, has made more teams do it because the success rate is so high.'
Carrick acknowledged that while the trend is understandable given its effectiveness, the balance is not right for the game. He added: 'It's not for me to decide what to do about it, but in the meantime, you've got to deal with what's in front of you, and if it's allowed, then you've gotta play to it.'
Despite the challenges, United have won both matches where grappling was a major feature, and Carrick has taken 19 points from a possible 21 since taking charge. He insisted the turnaround in form is not a surprise, stating: 'Every game is winnable. If you can stay with that and go step by step, try and be consistent, then we feel we give ourselves a chance.'
