Ruben Amorim
Manchester United have emerged as a formidable force from set-pieces this season, a significant turnaround from just a year ago. Under the guidance of head coach Ruben Amorim and his assistant Carlos Fernandes, the team has made remarkable progress in this area, which has become a crucial aspect of their gameplay. Last season, United struggled defensively against set-pieces, conceding goals from corners to teams like Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth. However, this season, they are creating a higher expected goals (xG) from set-pieces and are scoring at a better rate than many of their rivals.
Ruben Amorim said: “In this league, set pieces can win you games. Or you can lose if you don’t pay attention to that. I’m really pleased with the job that they are doing.”
The transformation has been attributed to the diligent work of Fernandes and the research conducted by first-team analyst Kaita Hasegawa, who has assembled a team of data experts focused on set-pieces. This collaborative effort has allowed Fernandes to devise effective routines and implement them during training sessions at Carrington.
Ruben Amorim said: “Last year we trained without the real movement we can put in the position. If you don’t have space and you cannot put load because they are recovering, it’s not the same thing. [Now] you have more time to kick corners and free-kicks and you can create real game situations this year. That helps. If you train more time you will improve.”
The improvement in Manchester United’s set-piece performance can also be attributed to the additional time available for training. With the team not qualifying for European competitions and exiting the Carabao Cup early, they have had more time to focus on refining their set-piece strategies. This extra preparation time has allowed the players to simulate real game situations and enhance their sharpness in executing set-pieces.
Ruben Amorim said: “You have to think about who you put in the squad, if you play with Amad, Bryan, Bruno, all these guys. If you don’t have Casemiro – and we suffer against Tottenham with that – not Sesko, not Harry. So you have to make a balance sometimes, thinking ‘yes, the idea for the game is this one, but if you have set pieces against it cannot be this team’. Our league is like that at the moment. You need to think not just the way you are going to play but also in set pieces. If you look at it with a little bit of attention to the league you understand that set pieces are massive for the game. Sometimes, to open the game. If you score a goal you are in better conditions to win the game.”
Amorim’s strategic approach to set-pieces involves careful consideration of player selection and tactical balance. The head coach emphasizes the importance of adapting the squad to optimize set-piece opportunities while maintaining overall game strategy. This nuanced understanding of the significance of set-pieces in the Premier League has been instrumental in Manchester United’s recent success in this area.
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