‘I Don’t Believe In This Modern Hype – Leeds United Boss Daniel Farke Firm On Trend | OneFootball

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has said that it is disrespectful to believe the Whites do not focus on set pieces and have specialists to handle it.

The Elland Road outfit were one of the more successful sides from dead ball situations last season in the Championship, despite not being a physically imposing side.

That has since changed, with Pascal Struijk remarking upon the size of new signings.

With set-pieces, especially the use of long throws and corners, being in vogue in the Premier League, every team are seeking to eke out every last advantage by hiring specialist coaches.

Farke though, is not one for specialist coaches and trusts his assistant Edmund Riemer, aided by two more people promoted from within, to take care of set-piece duties.

The German manager also claimed that it is a slight to classify his side as one without a specialist coach when they are working on it collectively.

Farke explained at a press conference (10:20): “It will be disrespectful to label it that we don’t have a specialist in this topic.

“My assistant coach Edmund Riemer takes charge of it.

“We have also promoted two of our guys in the background on this topic.”

Farke went on to state that it is the players who should remain in the spotlight, calling the focus on set-piece coaches ‘modern hype’.

“I don’t like, each and every corner the broadcasters have the name of the set-piece coach, his face is in the camera, he celebrates and anyhow I don’t believe in this.

“They shouldn’t be in the spotlight, not criticising any club.

“People who do the hard work behind the scenes are not doing it to be in the spotlight, where each and every set-piece and everyone can see their face.

“I don’t believe in this modern hype.

“The players should be in the spotlight, not even the managers too much and definitely not someone from the coaching staff or the backroom staff.”

The usage of long throws has more than doubled at 3.44 per 90 this season compared to 1.52 last season.

Long throw-ins are also producing more than twice as many expected goals this season (0.11xG per game) as any other campaign on record.

Leeds employed a set-piece coach in Gianni Vio, presently at Championship club Watford, in 2017.

The Whites are due to play Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday next and Farke will hope that his team’s collective effort can better any individual specialist.