Charge out like Zaire in 74': how footballers really train for set pieces

"Set pieces, eh, those brief but frequent interludes that sporadically pockmark our weekly sacrament, filling our heads with daydreams and fantasies of intricately worked ruses or 30-yard thunderbolts. Quite often the unintentional birth child of an ugly hacked clearance or theatrical swan dive, they ordinarily result in nothing more than a rudimentary blemish upon hallowed turf canvas but, sometimes, just sometimes, we are treated to strokes of genius that become as entrenched in the memory as is the Lord's Prayer."

"When asked to provide a dose of professional insight detailing the fastidious workings that go into each and every single stoppage in play, it got me to thinking: have we lost an element of ingenuity in the pursuit of perfection? My dad has always warned me against the pitfalls of starting a game slowly so, with that pearl of wisdom well heeded, I'll get things under way with a bang, a no-nonsense punt into touch from the very first whistle,"

"Let me espouse my disdain for football's latest fad: the role of the set-piece coach. Usually spotted emerging from the shadows of luxuriously appointed benches (you don't get splinters any more you know, trust me I've been there) during free-kicks, penalties, corners, goal kicks or the keeper scratching his arse, you may often mistake these pensive-faced experts for the first-team manager."

Set pieces are brief, frequent stoppages that often arise from imperfect defensive actions or theatrical fouls yet sometimes produce unforgettable, ingenious goals. A revival of simple early tactics, such as a no-nonsense punt into touch from the first whistle, has appeared among top English coaches, including Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta. The emergence of dedicated set-piece coaches has professionalized free-kicks, penalties, corners and goal kicks, with these specialists obsessing over small victories and visibly seeking managerial approval. That role has become a conspicuous, sometimes theatrical, element of modern matchday staff.

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