From High to Low Block, Manchester United Has No Problem

MANCHESTER, SATURDAY — Manchester United successfully achieved four consecutive victories under interim coach Michael Carrick. They have been tested by high, midfield, and low block defenses of opposing teams, yet always emerged as winners. This indicates that MU is currently in a different realm.

MU continued their positive trend with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, on Saturday (7/2/2026) WIB. They ended an eight-match winless streak against Tottenham with goals contributed by forward Bryan Mbeumo and midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Tottenham cleared the way for the home team as the match entered the half-hour mark. The visiting team's defender and captain, Cristian Romero, received a red card after a harsh tackle on midfielder Casemiro. Romero's recklessness came at a high cost for Thomas Frank's squad, which was forced to play with ten men for the remaining hour of the match.

"When playing against 10 players, it is always a situation that can be tricky. We had some issues, but we managed to handle them very well. We were leading by one goal, then maintained control in the second half to seek the next goal. This is a very positive day," said Carrick.

The score was still 0-0 when the incident occurred. As a result, Tottenham immediately played with a very low block defense, often referred to as "parking the bus." They stacked all their players in the first third of their own field to limit the movement of Fernandes and his teammates. This defensive scheme was different from the opponents of MU previously.

MU initially struggled to penetrate the opponent's penalty area. However, they only needed less than ten minutes to find a solution. The answer came from a set-piece scheme. The creativity of Fernandes and midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in executing a combination of passes culminated in a perfect finish from Mbeumo.

The execution of the set piece was very interesting. Instead of delivering a high ball from the corner kick, Fernandes opted for a low pass to Mainoo. This scheme successfully deceived Tottenham's defense. With a 1-0 lead, the MU squad no longer needed to rush for another goal. They fully controlled the game.

When facing a team that relies on a low block, the greatest threat always comes from counterattacks. Tottenham often takes advantage of the opponent's pressure to launch quick transitions. "There are mistakes that can be exploited. Those mistakes can happen. You can clearly still (achieve results even when) playing 10 against 11. We have threatened several times," said Frank.

Fortunately, the defensive duo of MU, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, performed very solidly in responding to the quick attacks led by Xavi Simons. Tottenham repeatedly managed to penetrate the midfield but was always repelled when entering the final third. The visiting team almost solely relied on the chaos generated from set pieces.

Tottenham began to play more openly with 15 minutes remaining in regular time. This gamble marked the beginning of further misfortune for the visiting team. Manchester United capitalized on the opponent's defensive lapse with a swift attack from the flanks. Fernandes doubled the lead through a cross from wing-back Diogo Dalot.

Fernandes also ended the resistance of the visiting team. "We controlled the game, but everything can change in an instant. They have good players who can make a difference. It is certainly not easy to face a low block. They are very compact and aggressive when defending with 10 men," said the captain.

Through that victory, there is no longer any doubt remaining about MU. They have successfully won four consecutive matches under Carrick, against Arsenal, Manchester City, Fulham, and Tottenham. Interestingly, all of these teams have different approaches and playing styles.

Arsenal and City are very aggressive teams with a high block defensive approach. MU punished both championship candidates with quick transitions. Subsequently, MU successfully silenced the mediocre team Fulham, which was quite cautious but not overly defensive with a middle block approach.

"The Red Devils" are feared to struggle against teams that employ total defense. However, the match earlier reflected a different reality. They indeed have many ways to dismantle a bus parking strategy, particularly through very creative set-piece executions. Fernandes, the creative midfielder, appeared capable of solving any difficulties in the attack.

"When we win, our confidence will be even higher. It is very important for us to remain focused and not get carried away right now. This is very good and enjoyable, but we need to keep moving forward. If you do not win in the next match and the one after that, you will return to an uncomfortable place," concluded Fernandes. (AP/REUTERS)