Liverpool 'part company' with set-piece coach amid worrying statistics

Liverpool have confirmed they have parted ways with Aaron Briggs amid the club's ongoing frailties from set-pieces.

The Reds moved into the top four after beating bottom-placed team Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 at Anfield last week in their final game of the year.

The Premier League champions have conceded 26 goals already this season, most by any side in the top five, and their struggles against set-pieces have been brutally exposed.

Arne Slot has repeatedly stressed the importance of set pieces and recently suggested that the Reds will not be able to finish in the top four, let alone challenge for the Premier League title, if they do not find a way to improve in this area.

Liverpool part ways with set-piece coach

According to Paul Joyce, the decision was made to let Briggs go after Liverpool conceded 12th goal from set pieces this season, seven from corners alone.

The Reds will not hire a new coach at this time, and responsibilities will be shared among Slot, the rest of the coaching staff, including Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Liverpool's set-piece difference this season stands at -9, whereas the league leaders, Arsenal, boast a set-piece difference of +8.

It is indeed a worrying stat that no side in Europe's top five leagues have conceded more than 12, and they have scored only three goals, and it does not come as a surprise that Virgil van Dijk labelled the vulnerability as a “killer” at the weekend.

The club reportedly felt that an intervention was required, and a mutual decision was taken to see Briggs move on.

Right decision to dismiss Briggs

The former Manchester City analyst initially joined Liverpool as their new first-team individual development coach after the departure of Vítor Matos, who joined Pepijn Lijnders at Red Bull Salzburg.

Briggs joined the Reds at the start of the 2024-25 season as a member of Slot’s backroom staff and was appointed to the specialist role of set-piece coach in September.

It is surprising that Liverpool took so long to address this major issue, and while they have made the right decision to sack Briggs, the club must look to bring in a top-quality coach at the earliest opportunity.