Carrick's view on set-piece debate

"I think it's gone too far. I think it wasn't long ago where you were kind of told you couldn't really lay a hand on anybody in the box, and it was going to be stamped out and clamped down on. It's crept in, it's gone stronger. The success of set-pieces, at corners in particular, being able to put so many bodies close together, has made more teams do it because the success-rate is so high."

"It's understandable why there are so many teams trying it and doing it, but, in terms of the game, it doesn't feel like we've kind of got that balance right. I don't know what there is to do about it - it's not for me to decide that, really. But, in the meantime, you've got to deal with what's in front of you and, if it's allowed, you've got to play to it."

Grappling and physical contact in the penalty box during set-pieces, particularly corners, has become increasingly prevalent in Premier League matches this season. Michael Carrick expressed concern that the practice has intensified beyond acceptable levels, noting that while it was previously discouraged, it has now become widespread. The growth in this behavior stems from the high success rate of set-pieces when multiple players are positioned closely together, incentivizing teams to employ these tactics. Carrick acknowledged the difficulty in addressing the issue and emphasized the need to adapt to current playing conditions while questioning whether the game has achieved proper balance in regulating such contact.

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