Leeds United are very much on trend when it comes to current Premier League fads. The long throw is back, and fans have seen Ethan Ampadu trot to the touchline to fling one in more than a handful of times already.
This, actually, counts as a set-piece – and Leeds have been rather successful at them this campaign. Only three teams – Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – have scored more non-penalty set-pieces in the Premier League so far.
With penalties included, only Arsenal, Chelsea, Brighton and Crystal Palace rank above Leeds. Daniel Farke had made it clear in the summer that United needed to become more efficient from dead balls ahead of the new campaign.
Last season supplied different circumstances with Leeds the most dominant, possession-focused teams in the Championship. Yet still, their return of seven direct set-piece goals out of the 95 they scored equated to just 7.3%.
It is early days in this season with just nine games played but, so far, the ratio has significantly swung. Five of United’s nine league goals – 55% – have come from dead balls.
Farke’s mission to maximise such opportunities is working. He referenced the need to be more effective when explaining why his summer signings all had a common theme – being tall.
“You have to make sure that you are also good at defending crosses,” he said ahead of Leeds’ Premier League return. “Also more corner kicks, more wide-area free kicks against us.
“It’s important to be really, really good and strong, also at the other end. Because I’m not sure if we can dominate all of the games in the manner we did on Championship level.”
In that regard, Leeds haven’t done too badly, with the Whites often coming out with more possession, shots and xG in games. Yet in most of these cases, Leeds have failed to manufacture the win.
Farke has outlined that Leeds do not have the individual quality to win games by this alone, so other avenues need to be utilised, such as fitness levels, cohesion – and set-pieces.
United have not employed a coach whose duty it is to solely focus on set-pieces, with assistant boss Eddie Riemer taking charge of this among his duties. And it doesn’t seem as though this will change soon.
When asked about hiring a set-piece coach last month, Farke said: “It would be disrespectful to label that we don’t have a specialist. Edmund Riemer takes charge of it, and we have also promoted two of our guys who work in the background a bit more just on this topic, and also on the grass.
“It’s still a team effort. We have the tendency nowadays that each and every corner the broadcasters have the name of the set-piece coach, always his face is in the camera and he celebrates. I don’t believe in this.
“It should still be, in general, my responsibility and sometimes, we have the tendency to produce some superstars that shouldn’t be too much in the spotlight.
“I’m not criticising any club, but I don’t believe in this so much. I believe in people who do the hard work behind the scenes.”
Evidently, there is no need to change a system and set-up that is working – especially in the case of Joe Rodon, who has scored three headers from corners this season, including his nod-in against Belgium for Wales. So credit where credit is due.
