‘Always My Opinion’ – Daniel Farke Clear On Leeds United Weapon | OneFootball

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has admitted that set pieces and long throws are now firmly back in fashion and stressed they can be an important source of goals in key matches.

Farke has put a lot of onus on set-pieces this season, with a number of summer signings being made with prospective aerial threats in mind.

Spotlight on that aspect of Leeds’ game was thrown by defender Pascal Struijk when he revealed early in the season that the new signings were adding both maturity and height to the team.

The German manager himself has time and again spoken about the issue and has mentioned two names – Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff – as key to Leeds’ successful set pieces.

On the other hand, skipper Ethan Ampadu has been used as a specialist for long throws.

At the end of October, Leeds had recorded as many as 20 long throws inside the penalty box.

Long throws were also producing more than twice as many expected goals (0.11 xG per game) for the Whites than they did last season.

Farke is clear that set pieces have long been an effective weapon when it comes to picking up points and insists that has always been his view, regardless of fashion.

Asked about how long throws and set-pieces have returned to fashion, Farke told LUTV (6.07): “Football is always this way, so everything that was in fashion 30 years ago comes back in fashion.

“It will be out again for a few years and will come back.

“It is the same with formation, attacking style, with tactical behaviour. Also with long throw-ins or corner kicks.  

“I played in a generation when it was normal that when you didn’t have the chance to be creative and didn’t create chances, you used more set-pieces and long throw-ins.

“It was a bit out of fashion because it felt like odd goals out of long throw-ins are set-pieces are not worth that much anyhow.

“Right now it comes back in fashion because everyone sees – no, you can win proper points. It was always my opinion.

“If you want, for example, to win the title, or you want to win the tournament, there is always this one game when you will struggle to score, perhaps out of open play.

“You need to win it, also sometimes with set-pieces.”

Leeds currently do not have a specialist set-piece coach, with the responsibilities being shared by assistant Edmund Riemer, aided by two more people promoted from within.

They did have one in the form of Gianni Vio, who was added to the coaching staff of former boss Thomas Christiansen.