Journalist: Liverpool were right to sack coach after recent performances

Liverpool Set Pieces Under Arne Slot: Why Aaron Briggs Paid the Price

Liverpool’s season has been defined by set pieces, and not in a good way. Arne Slot delivered the Premier League title in his debut campaign, but this title defence has been disappointing, with Liverpool currently sitting 4th. When points are slipping, dead ball moments become a fault line, and this season Liverpool have repeatedly cracked.

Credit to David Lynch, speaking to Dave Davis for Anfield Index on the original podcast, for putting clear words to a problem supporters have watched build over months.

Set piece issues deciding matches

Set piece failings rarely look like one mistake. They look like a pattern, runners left free, first contacts lost, second balls unclaimed, and an anxious scramble that follows. Liverpool have struggled at both ends, conceding cheap goals and failing to turn their own corners and free kicks into pressure.

David Lynch on Liverpool’s decision to sack set-piece coach Aaron Briggs: “It absolutely shouldn’t be a surprise because it has been so bad that you just can’t make excuses.”

Ruthless football logic behind the call

Coaching changes can feel harsh, yet the sport is unforgiving when a specialist area keeps costing points. Lynch did not dress it up, he simply described the reality.

“Liverpool have been appalling at defending and attacking set-pieces, so if you’re the coach who is dedicated to that, then you’re going to lose your job because football is a ruthless game.”

Slot’s staff had to respond, because set piece errors have had a direct say in games. Liverpool cannot keep giving opponents an easy route back through one well worked corner, and they cannot keep wasting their own deliveries when momentum is there to be seized.

AXA standards and practical next steps

There is also a human side to any sacking, especially at a club where staff are part of a tight daily routine. Lynch acknowledged that, while still pointing to impact on results.

“You never want to see anyone lose their job but I don’t think anyone can say that it’s a harsh decision because it was having such a big influence on games.”

It is possible to respect someone’s work ethic and still accept that the role demands a different profile.

“People speak very highly of him around the AXA, but he clearly wasn’t the right fit for the job.”

Liverpool set piece reset as a route to recovery

Slot’s Liverpool can still finish strongly, but the route back to a genuine title challenge runs through basics done brilliantly. Improve organisation on first contact, defend the second phase with aggression, and add variety to attacking routines. It will not solve every problem, yet it removes a needless handicap, and it gives Liverpool a platform to play with the control Slot demands.