Leicester do not actually have a set-piece coach

A persistent question amongst Leicester City fans has been about their inability to deal with oppositional set-pieces. Finally, now we know why that is!

One of the main contributors to the East Midland club’s agonies is their lack of awareness towards dealing with an oppositional set-piece. The problem is not new – it has been going on for more than a season. Yet, each week we see no visible improvement. The issue has stretched itself to such an extent that we have learned to live with it.

To state an example, in our game with Leeds, 10 of the 18 shots City conceded came from corners or free-kicks. In our last match, Chelsea scored their first goal from a corner as well. During defending corners, City chooses a hybrid of man-marking and zonal marking. It leaves many markers unaccounted for exploitation. So what does the set-piece coach does each week after such reminders?

Leicester City does not have a set-piece coach!

Astonishingly, the King Power club does not have an actual person whose sole responsibility is to formulate better tactics against set-pieces. Most managers have multiple coaches under their supervision, each specialized to deal with certain aspects of the game.

The blatant fact that there not even a single set-piece coach till now despite the anxious nature of the fragility is perplexing. This delicate concern has now been clarified. In previous interviews, the manager Brendan Rodgers has expressed a set-piece coach is dealing with their recurring problems, it’s now evidently clear that such an employee specifically focused on coaching set-pieces is non-existent.

The only person who comes near to the specific role in question is Matthew Edge. He is chiefly an analyst working for the east Midlands side. For him, analytically, corners and free-kicks land in his territory. Maybe in the coming time, Leicester City shall recognize the infirmity present in their underbelly.

They do need a set-piece expert to prepare for improvement. I think we can all agree on one thing: an analyst cannot do a coach’s job, especially when a team is suffering from set-piece-oriented plots in every other game.