Andoni Iraola backs backroom staff to help cure Liverpool’s set-piece ills
Andoni Iraola says Liverpool’s new coaching staff will help tackle the team’s weakness at set pieces as he begins his first season in charge. The issue matters because Liverpool conceded heavily from dead-ball situations last season, contributing to Arne Slot’s departure despite the previous title-winning campaign.
Iraola has brought several trusted former Bournemouth colleagues to Anfield, including assistant Pablo de la Torre and coaches Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper. Elphick will focus on defensive set pieces, Cooper on attacking routines, and they will work with existing set-piece analyst Lewis Mahoney; Liverpool conceded 23 set-piece goals last season, with only Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Leeds conceding more.
- Iraola’s staff will target Liverpool’s set-piece problems.
- Liverpool conceded 23 set-piece goals last season.
- Elphick and Cooper will lead defensive and attacking routines.
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Liverpool struggled significantly when defending set pieces—goals scored from restarts such as free kicks and corners—during the last season. The club conceded 23 such goals, which was only the fourth-worst record in the Premier League.
Andoni Iraola, Liverpool's new manager in his first season in charge, has brought specialist coaches from Bournemouth to remedy this weakness. His assistant Pablo de la Torre and coaches Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper will join the club's existing set-piece analyst Lewis Mahoney to strengthen both defensive and attacking routines from these situations.
The vulnerability proved influential in Liverpool's recent managerial transition. Set-piece problems were a contributing factor to Arne Slot's departure despite his previous title-winning campaign, illustrating how weakness in this technical area can impact a team's competitive success.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Set pieces are a measurable, coachable problem—Liverpool conceded 23 set-piece goals, significantly more than average—and bringing in specialists from Bournemouth, where they demonstrably improved this area, represents a focused, evidence-based solution to a clear quantifiable weakness. This targeted investment directly addresses an element that materially affected results last season and is precisely the kind of problem that structured coaching can meaningfully improve.
The case against
Whilst improving set pieces matters, concentrating resources on this single element could distract from deeper tactical or personnel issues that may be more consequential to overall performance. Success at Bournemouth emerged within different contexts and with different personnel, and such achievements do not necessarily translate to Liverpool's circumstances; the investment might deliver better returns if directed toward more fundamental structural challenges.