Man Utd and Arsenal have hired set-piece coaches but what do they do and do they provide an edge?-FIFA World Cup | Everything about football and world cup

測試

Man Utd and Arsenal have hired set-piece coaches but what do they do and do they provide an edge?

Man Utd and Arsenal have hired set-piece coaches but what do they do and do they provide an edge?

Manchester United and Arsenal are among the clubs to have turned to set-piece coaches in the hope of improving their dead-ball efficiency; specialist coaching has its roots in Denmark but is becoming more popular in the pursuit of marginal gains

Mikkel Damsgaard's opener for Denmark against England was rated as one of the goals of the tournament at Euro 2020. The free-kick was beautifully struck, dipping under the crossbar from around 30 yards out. But there was more to it than that.

Before it was taken, centre-backs Andreas Christensen, Simon Kjaer and Jannik Vestergaard, three of Denmark's tallest players, formed their own wall a few yards to the left of England's.

There was a small gap between Christensen, the player on the end of their wall, and Harry Kane, the player on the end of England's. But as Damsgaard started his run-up, his team-mates took a step to their right, blocking Jordan Pickford's eyeline at the last moment.

Damsgaard's effort was relatively central and Pickford was criticised for failing to stop it. But in truth, there was little he could have done. The free-kick was hit with force but it was Denmark's wall that did for him. By the time the ball came back into his vision, it was too late.

The goal prompted wild celebrations among Denmark's players, fans and coaching staff inside Wembley but it was a particularly satisfying moment for Mads Buttgereit, a set-piece coach working with the Danish national side during the tournament.
 

"The way the guys did it - the way every single player took responsibility to help Mikkel be successful - that was maybe the biggest joy," Buttgereit tells Sky Sports.

 

"You can be the coach on the sidelines who makes the plan in training and has the discussions about the small details, but the players are the ones who need to do it on the pitch.

TOP