Set pieces have gone from ugly duckling to game changer as clubs focus on details
Emphasising the importance of set pieces was regarded as unglamorous in the past, the focus of teams lower down the table desperately seeking any advantage over more monied counterparts. Nowadays, though, clubs at the top are prioritising cunning corner routines and clever throw-in tactics because there are fine margins in football and being smarter than your opponent can make the difference.
Liverpool won the Carabao Cup last Sunday from a set play and Arsenal’s men have been very good on set pieces this season. Their attention to detail is exceptional. Their set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, is credited with the work that goes into that. Arsenal are challenging for the title in part thanks to 17 goals from set plays, the highest in the league, accounting for almost 30% of their goals.
A key help for Arsenal is the fact they have taken the most corners in the league. Opponents should be working desperately to stop conceding them. It was drummed into me at Birmingham how to limit the chance of giving away a corner. If a player is in a wide area defending, it is imperative they get their body position right so the ball should go out for a throw-in, not a corner, if it strikes them. Sometimes the ball goes for a corner and fans cheer because they think a player has made a great block but a throw-in is the lesser of two evils.
At the 2014 World Cup, Germany won the tournament helped by some great attacking set pieces and defensively they were focused on not giving away corners. Their assistant coach Hansi Flick was very big on the importance of set plays and they were highly effective at both ends. In attack, Toni Kroos was superb with his delivery and they did not concede a goal from one. Someone told me, whether true or not, that Flick ordered them to not dive in and tackle around the box, so they wouldn’t give away needless fouls which would lead to set pieces and increase the risk of conceding.
It is not only corners and free-kicks that bring goals. I am infuriated by how many goals are conceded from throwins because a team set up incorrectly. At throw-ins it is a mathematical equation: when a side are in their defensive third, they should have at least one more player there than their opponents and you should have someone screening in front of the attacking players so the ball cannot reach feet. Teams can otherwise get the ball and lay it back to get a cross into the box. If a team organise quickly and correctly, they do not need to defend. It is all about little details to stop the ball getting to the centre-forward. I call it every time. At Sky Sports the pundits and production team laugh at me when I am shouting about it in someone’s ear because goals from throw-ins are avoidable.
Arsenal’s men’s team use throw-ins intelligently when attacking, knowing they are only a couple of touches from creating a chance. Often it will be a case of throwing deep towards the corners, helped by the fact there is no offside. This can allow a player to get quickly into a position from where they can find a teammate in the box.
The difference between success and failure over a season can be a single goal, so it is no wonder teams want to make the most of set-play opportunities. There was a touch of derision when set-piece and throw-in coaches came into the game but I knew they would have a role, especially when one header from a corner can win a trophy.
When I was at Birmingham set pieces were integral. We won the FA Cup in 2012 against Chelsea because of them: a cross from a half-cleared corner led to our first goal, after we practised that even if they cleared it we would be able to get the next cross in; then I scored direct from a free-kick to force a shootout. I was told in the buildup that the goalkeeper lined up her wall and wouldn’t be in position, and that if I asked the referee to take it quickly, we could score. That intelligence was key and it worked.
We needed extra weapons and the manager, David Parker, saw a gap we could exploit. We were driven by data back then because we had someone working with us who was using statistics constructively in the men’s game. We were one of the first women’s teams to operate in this way. We had a lot of success and it helped focus recruitment. For a team like Birmingham, with no money, we punched above our weight, reaching a Champions League semi-final, which for a team like ours was unheard of. It shows what can happen if coaches look at the marginal gains.
Standing out in the cold on the training ground going through the minutiae of corners can be the last thing players want. I used to hate it. Players would rather be playing a match but I knew we needed to do it at Birmingham and the coach was exceptionally enthusiastic, and we earned our rewards.
The detail for an attacking corner or free-kick is not just about where the ball ends up but about the players who are blocking to allow a teammate to meet the cross. Everyone will have a role in a plan to create a clear path for someone to have the best chance of scoring. In years gone by, everyone was there to attack the ball but now players are looking to stop opponents from clearing rather than trying to score. It requires perfect delivery but the target also needs a lot of help to give them the ideal opportunity to find the net, as Virgil van Dijk will tell you.