11 Feb 2026 09:02:39
What should happen in the 12-day break our team now has?
Carrington, every day working on fitness?
Reserves sitting deep and starting 11 working on breaking down a low block?
A couple of behind-closed-door friendlies?
A warm weather camp abroad?
A straightforward break for all to recharge?
11 Feb 2026 09:15:07
Try and break the mould of Eth 2.0 would be a damn good place to start after that performance.
11 Feb 2026 09:27:09
A point against what is now a well drilled team, in form, fighting for their lives away from home. Take your medicine and a point, learn a lot from it, and move on to a similar team who we should beat.
Loving the finish from Sesko - slow burner but yes beginning to earn to the Utd shirt now. West Ham blocked the spaces brilliantly nullifying Amad, Cunha and Mbeumo. Should have gone more directly sooner.
11 Feb 2026 10:16:53
There rumours of a friendly against AC Milan in Saudi Arabia. But I don't think thst is happening.
11 Feb 2026 18:09:39
I do find the concern fans have over a low block to be slightly out of proportion in my opinion.
There is a reason why poorer sides tend to use it against sides with superior players, it's effective and statistically the best chance they have of getting a result.
Only the very best sides can consistently play against a low block and beat it. Typically to beat a low block you need one of three things.
1. A mistake from the opposition, someone not tracking their runner, losing their individual battles, giving the ball away in a dangerous place, or gifting a penalty.
2. A moment of unbelievable magic and invention from a player who does something you just can't stop. Hitting a 40 yard screamer into the top corner, dribbling past 4 or 5 players with the ball glued to his foot, rising 2.5m into the air to head a ball home that no one else can reach.
3. Having a team full of world class players who can just relentlessly pummel the opposition until they break and concede.
That's it. There is no clever tactical plan to make good to average players suddenly capable of consistently beating a low block through the brilliance of their play.
I mean Arsenal have spent over a billion creating a top class squad, and even they tend to rely on starting 4 CB's to overwhelm the opposition at corners to consistently beat low blocks.
We are a long way from having a top class squad to be able to overwhelm the opposition and beat the teams that will let you have the ball and stick two banks of four in front of the ball. We will have to rely on either moments to brilliance or the opposition making a mistake. Neither of which you can consistently rely on.