Tottenham lag behind Arsenal in terms of set-piece threat (Image: Getty)
Ange Postecoglou may not feel ‘comfortable’ hiring a specialised set-piece coach but Tottenham’s ineffectiveness from dead-ball situations should make him just as uneasy.
Spurs players and fans were right to rejoice in a thumping 4-1 win over West Ham on Saturday. The Lilywhites repeatedly carved open their east London rivals on the counter-attack and showed impressive game management to tighten up the midfield at half-time, which saw them run away with the three points.
But the truth is, the scoreline could have been even wider against a West Ham side who were more than happy to chance their arm against Tottenham from set-pieces.
The Hammers gave away 12 corners to Spurs before the interval, which is more than any one team has had against another in the first half of a Premier League game this season. And Tottenham were not particularly threatening from any of them.
Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke are both miles clear of the six-foot mark, while Cristian Romero is an animal in the box. But Tottenham are not finding ways to use them dangerously, and it’s proving too easy for opponents to deal with them.
As of last month, Spurs ranked 13th among Premier League teams for set-piece goals scored since the start of the 2023/24 season, with 12.
Nicolas Jover (right) has become a fixture on the Arsenal touchline (Image: Getty)
Their cross-city rivals, Arsenal, lead the way with 23. And Mikel Arteta’s dedicated set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, has become a well-known figure in his own right.
Spurs have their own team of coaches to look after that particular area with Mile Jedinak, Ryan Mason and Nick Montgomery all taking a more active role than their colleagues. But Postecoglou has made it clear that he does not want to recruit someone in the mould of Jover, who is solely dedicated to getting the maximum from dead-ball scenarios.
“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,” he said in March.
“I don’t want set pieces to be separate from everything else we do, in terms of the team we want to be. It all hopefully links in. Some have gone down the specialised route which I understand. It’s just it’s not how I work. I wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing in specialists for one particular area.”
Perhaps the spurned opportunities against the Hammers will push Postecoglou one more notch towards conceding defeat, following Arteta’s lead and accepting an ‘uncomfortable’ situation could be in the best interests of his side.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1964397/tottenham-ange-postecoglou-mikel-arteta