The Athletic FC Podcast Summary

Episode: Premier League trends: How to break down low blocks
Date: February 15, 2026
Host: Michael Bailey
Panelists: Michael Cox, Mark Carey, Liam Tharm (with contribution from Conor O’Neill)

Overview

This episode of The Athletic FC Podcast dives into the pressing tactical trend of low blocks in the Premier League—what they are, whether they're on the rise, and why they present such a challenge for possession-dominant teams. The panel explore ways to break down low blocks, the resurgence of crossing and headed clearances, and an intriguing uptick in long-range goals. They also touch on tactical implications, health issues related to heading, and the trickle-down effect of Premier League tactics into the lower leagues. The tone is analytical, lively, and always grounded in data and firsthand reporting.

1. Early Segment: Tottenham’s Managerial Woes (02:26–06:37)

• Tottenham Hotspur’s struggles under Thomas Frank:
  • Michael Cox reflects on Frank’s tenure: “It just never looked like working really from the early days... there was a disconnect between the players and the manager, I think particularly between the fans and the manager as well.” (02:58)
  • Poor attacking performances and a lack of creativity, with heavy reliance on set pieces.
  • Mark Carey cites injuries (Madison, Kulusevski) as mitigating factors but notes a lack of clear attacking patterns and identity.
  • Liam Tharm: Tottenham’s chance creation “fourth bottom in terms of expected goals… really reliant on set pieces” (05:49).
• Conclusion: The panel move on, re-emphasizing this isn't a Tottenham podcast.

2. Are Low Blocks Really on the Rise? (07:14–10:42)

• Perceptions vs. Data:

  • Mark Carey’s data analysis (using Skill Corner): “The short answer is, no, we’re not really… not seeing a higher share of time spent in a low block.” (07:14)
  • Removal of the top six teams made minimal difference to league-wide low block frequency.
  • Emphasis is now on the quality and compactness of low blocks, not just frequency.
  • Sunderland and Burnley are mentioned as examples of extremely compact, effective low blocks.

• TV and Fan Perception:

  • Michael Cox: “I always think a lot of... slightly flawed perceptions about football is just because there's so much more football on television now and people see more matches.” (09:06)
  • Coaches and fans complain, but dealing with low blocks has “always been an issue, really, or at least for 20 years or so.”
  • Suggestion that Arne Slot’s complaints at Liverpool might be due to a difference in Dutch footballing philosophy.

3. Tactical Discussion: High, Mid, and Low Blocks (10:42–14:56)

• High Blocks & Pressing (10:53)

  • Definition (Mark Carey): “A high block is essentially a team engaging with the opposition when they have the ball in their own defensive third […] passes the eye test of high press.” (10:53)
  • Usual suspects for high-block teams: Manchester City (highest), Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and notably Brighton (second highest).
  • Liam Tharm: “This is the part of the game… that deserves the most credit [for Brighton].”

• Mid Block (13:21)

  • Michael Cox: “A mid block is just finding a balance between two concepts... just being neutral.” (13:21)
  • Most teams (especially outside the Premier League) employ a variant of the mid block.

• Definitions of a Low Block (14:56)

  • Key challenge is objective definition: is it the depth of the striker, the average position of defenders, or something else?
  • Liam Tharm: “Anyone that... watches football regularly feels like we can say, oh, we know it when we see it…” (14:56)
  • Mark Carey (with Skill Corner’s definition): “A low block for them is denoted by the average position of the deepest three defensive players being within their own third.” (16:11)

4. How Do You Break Down a Low Block? (16:37–21:52)

• Tactical Solutions:

  • Michael Cox: “One thing I don’t think teams do enough of is passing the ball backwards…. Sometimes you’ve got to bait the press, you’ve got to bring them forward and I still don’t think there’s enough emphasis on that in football.” (16:53)
    • Example: Man Utd vs. Arsenal, 2022, where deliberate recycling of possession created space.
  • Mark Carey: Suggests even letting the opposition have possession occasionally, to disrupt their settled block (18:01).
  • Need for tempo: Slot and others advocate for “injecting intensity into the game”. Moving the ball quickly side-to-side can stretch blocks (19:05).

• Set Pieces and Half-Spaces:

  • Liam Tharm: “City was so good for so many years under Guardiola…finding those spots… the weak spot can be a fullback not knowing whether they should go out to the winger.” (20:08)
  • Arsenal’s effectiveness breaking games open with set pieces, clever corner routines, and exploiting more lenient blocking rules.
  • Teams need to find their own specialist methods for breaking down stubborn defences.

5. The Resurgence of Headed Clearances (23:57–30:35)

• Data and Health Concerns:

  • Michael Cox: “The head of clearances in the Premier League has gone from 19 a game to 30 a game... In League Two... from 22 to 42, so pretty much doubled over the space of two years.” (24:16)
  • The increase is stark in the past two seasons after years of flat-headed clearance numbers.
  • Panel highlights health concerns, referencing recent inquests (e.g., Gordon McQueen’s death) and FA guidance on limiting headers in training.

• Training & Youth Dilemmas:

  • Liam Tharm: Need to balance limiting harmful heading with teaching young players correct technique—“the worst thing is going to be if a player doesn’t head a ball for 10, 15 years...” (27:22)
  • Debate over the impact of lighter balls, use of softer materials in academies.

• Tactical Trickle-Down:

  • Michael Cox: “It’s almost legitimized or re-legitimized that style of football.” (30:43)
  • Tactical trends (e.g., four centre-backs, set-piece focus) from the Premier League quickly filter into the lower leagues, changing the game and influencing style.

6. Long-Range Shots: Return of the ‘Screamer’ (34:01–41:01)

• Statistical Insights (Conor O’Neill):

  • “Goals from outside the box are occurring at a rate of 0.4 per match, the highest since 2013–14… Shots from outside the area are widely outperforming their XG to the tune of 28%.” (34:13)
  • Fewer attempts from range (since records began), but more efficiency and a higher proportion of goals.
  • Possibility that teams are more selective, setting up higher-quality takers for these shots.

• Possible Causes:

  • Mark Carey: “I do think that the ball does maybe play a factor… but it’s almost too easy to talk about the quality of the player’s ball striking…” (35:31)
    • Aston Villa singled out for their tactical focus on creating specific long-range shooting opportunities (‘by design’—Morgan Rogers).
    • Premier League likely to show more variance in expected goals because of higher-quality players.
  • Liam Tharm: Suggests elite player strength/training, lighter/more ‘moveable’ balls, and possibly tactical shifts towards exploiting low blocks as explanations.
  • Michael Cox: Strong suspicions the new Puma Premier League ball is a “massive factor… it curls more and dips more than it used to.” (39:26)

7. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On the perception of low blocks:
  • Michael Cox: “I think people just see low blocks more. I think they’re more aware of how often that happens.” (09:06)
• On breaking down low blocks:
  • Michael Cox: "Sometimes you’ve got to bait the press, you’ve got to bring them forward and I still don’t think there's enough emphasis on that in football.” (16:53)
• On the rise of headed clearances:
  • Michael Cox: “Players are heading the ball clear about twice as often certainly in League two as they were two years ago. So yeah, I don't have any recommendations or I'm not saying heading should be banned, but I certainly think it's something football should be concerned about.” (24:16)
• On the new ball influencing long-range goals:
  • Michael Cox: “I can’t prove it, but even before I saw these numbers I think there’s been so many goals this season that have owed to the movement on the ball… I just think it curls more and dips more than it used to.” (39:26)
• On set pieces:
  • Liam Tharm: “Generally the best way to beat a low block is by… trying to avoid playing a low block as much as you can. Arsenal would, you know, basically use set pieces a lot of the time to crack games open.” (20:08)

8. Quiz: All-time Premier League Long-Range Scorers (41:01–42:57)

• The panel are quizzed on the top five Premier League goalscorers from outside the penalty area.
  • Answers: Frank Lampard (top), David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Alan Shearer, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

9. Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:26 — Tottenham managerial discussion
• 07:14 — Are low blocks actually on the rise?
• 10:53 — High blocks and pressing
• 13:21 — Mid block: definition & importance
• 14:56 — Defining a low block and breaking them down
• 16:53 — Reverse-passing/attacking patterns vs. low blocks
• 21:52 — Set pieces and offensive innovation
• 23:57 — Data on headed clearances & health concerns
• 30:43 — Premier League tactical trends influencing lower leagues
• 34:13 — Long-range goals: the statistical return of screamers
• 39:26 — The new ball’s effect and further speculation
• 41:01 — Quiz: outside-the-box all-time scorers

Conclusion

This episode offers a dense, data-rich survey of how teams are grappling with low defensive blocks, the indirect consequences such as an increase in crossing and headed clearances, and a surprising resurgence in long-range goals. Listeners come away with an understanding of the evolving chess match in Premier League tactics, insightful statistical nuggets, and expert speculation about what's driving these trends—tactical adaptation, player selection, and even technology (the infamous new ball). The health angle around heading, and the notion that tactical fashions quickly cascade down through English football’s pyramid, give the episode extra relevance for fans and analysts alike.