Postecoglou explains why he ‘wouldn’t feel comfortable’ hiring a set-piece coach
Ange Postecoglou has explained that he wants all aspects of the side to be integrated, which is why he does not feel comfortable hiring specialists to coach one particular area such as set-pieces.
Last season, Spurs had Gianni Vio as their set-piece coach, with the Italian reportedly developing over 5000 different set-piece routines over the course of his career (Evening Standard).
He certainly had the desired effect at Hotspur Way, with the Lilywhites ranking second in the Premier League for goals scored from set-pieces in the 2022/23 campaign, with 16 goals.
Vio continued to work at Tottenham and assist Ryan Mason after Conte and later Cristian Stellini were sacked, with the Italian eventually departing the club after the arrival of Postecoglou.
When asked whether he would consider hiring a specialist to work on offensive and defensive set-pieces, the Australian told Football.London: “I’ve never had a specific set-piece coach. I’ve always had someone who’s responsible for that.
“I always think it’s better if that’s somebody who’s a part of the coaching staff because then that’s an extension of how we play our football. I don’t separate set pieces from everything else we do, in terms of the team we want to be. It all hopefully links in.
“Here we’ve split the roles between Mile [Jedinak] and Ryan Mason in terms of attacking and defensive set-pieces and they put a lot of work into it with the analysis staff. I’m sure every club does. Some have gone down the specialised route which I understand.
“It’s just it’s not how I work. I always try to create a collective environment for everything we do, so that nothing is separated. I wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing in specialists for one particular area. Just for the way I work more than anything else.”
Ryan Mason was not happy with Spurs set-pieces last week
Postecoglou pointed out that while a lot has been made of having different set-piece routines, the most crucial factor remains the quality of the delivery into the box.
He continued: “Delivery is vital. Last week wasn’t great. Madders is usually good at them but I thought we had a lot and I know Mase was pretty disappointed with that.
“There are always areas you can improve and those guys practise. It does help. As much as the organisation, you still need somebody who can execute. If you’ve got, and I’m going back a bit here, David Beckham on a free-kick, you don’t need a set-piece coach.”
While Tottenham have been guilty of conceding a few goals in set-pieces over recent weeks, the club’s general defensive record in free-kicks has been quite good through the season, with Postecoglou crediting Mile Jedinak for the same.
When asked about Jedinak’s impact, the Spurs head coach responded: “I coached him and now he’s a coach in his own right. He’s very disciplined and is very well-organised.
“I just thought with him not being out of the game too long ago that he has a good understanding of what’s there, and he’s a scary bloke, mate. People are scared to go up against him, I figured that’s good criteria.”
Spurs Web Opinion
One can understand Postecoglou’s point about wanting all aspects of training to be integrated rather than doing things separately.
Having said that, set-pieces are a unique part of the game that are often divorced from the other tactical elements, which is why an increasing number of sides are deploying specialist coaches for that area.
The post Postecoglou explains why he ‘wouldn’t feel comfortable’ hiring a set-piece coach appeared first on The Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.