Man Utd Dull Against West Ham, Michael Carrick Frustrated

JAKARTA - Manchester United's front line is blunt, making it difficult to break into the West Ham United goal in the English Premier League match. Interim manager Michael Carrick admitted he was frustrated with the Man Utd's front line problem, so he was only able to play a 1-1 draw in the match at London Stadium, Wednesday, February 11, 2026 WIB.

Man Utd almost lost when visiting West Ham's home. Especially after the hosts managed to defeat goalkeeper Senne Lammens through Tomas Soucek's goal in the 50th minute.

Even though he attacked the opponent's defense, there was not a single goal that was created to equalize the score. Several opportunities almost produced results until Casemiro finally broke into the Hammers' goal. Only Casemiro's goal was annulled because he was judged to be in an offside position.

When Man Utd was predicted to fall for the first time under Carrick's leadership, there was striker Benjamin Sesko who appeared as a savior. Welcoming Bryan Mbeumo's pass, a shot from Sesko successfully broke Mads Hermansen's goal.

The goal in the 90th minute +7 made West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo hold his head as if he couldn't believe that the victory that was in his grasp was just gone. Not only him but almost all the home players held their heads with the goal after the match had to end with a score of 1-1.

And, this is the second time Sesko has saved The Red Devils. Previously, he scored in injury time against Fulham. Only in that match, Man Utd won 3-2. However, in the match against West Ham, they had to settle for a draw.

Even though they avoided defeat, Carrick was still disappointed with the result. Moreover, they almost lost to a team that was in the relegation zone.

The reason is that Man Utd's front line is really blunt so that they fail to convert every opportunity. The team is really weak in the final third or the front third area which makes Carrick frustrated.

"I, frankly, am a little disappointed and we didn't show our best performance. In a game like this you have to be able to find ways and keep moving. I'm really frustrated," Carrick said as quoted by france24.

However, Carrick admitted it was not easy to beat West Ham at home. However, when knowing the opponent has a solid defense, Bruno Fernandes et al. like they don't know what to do.

"It must be admitted that it is difficult to beat them at home. The question is, we lost the sharpness that should be the answer to overcome this. However, we again showed an extraordinary spirit. This makes us get points and move on for the next match," said Carrick again.

"It's not easy to find a way. We still take the positive side of this match," he said.

Meanwhile, Sesko himself has started to show his ability to break the opponent's goal. The goal in the match against West Ham was the fifth of the last five matches. He is improving after a poor start since being recruited from RB Leipzig at the start of the season.

"The finish is really fantastic. He did it again. The goal was very important and showed that he is a really good finisher.

Sesko also admitted that he was satisfied to help save Man Utd from defeat. However, he felt disappointed because Man Utd failed to win the crucial match.

"I'm happy with the settlement. But I'm disappointed with the draw. I know we deserved to win when I saw the team's fighting spirit," said Sesko.

"However, the opposing team is dangerous in counterattacks. I'm still happy with our performance. In difficult situations, we still stick together," he said.

The result makes Man Utd fail to extend the record of four wins during Carrick's tenure. However, they still survive in the Champions League zone by ranking fourth.