Liverpool Football Club has confirmed the departure of set piece coach Aaron Briggs, as new head coach Arne Slot looks to address a weakness in the team’s performance this season.
The decision comes after a campaign where Liverpool showed clear problems in dealing with set-piece situations. Statistics reveal the scale of the issue. The team conceded 12 goals from set-pieces in the Premier League, a number matched only by Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. Furthermore, Liverpool managed to score just three goals from their own set plays.
Slot has frequently expressed his frustration with what he termed a “negative set piece balance.” The problem was evident even in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield, where a conceded goal from a corner kick made for a nervous finish.
While the club does not view Briggs’s exit as a single solution to all their problems, the continued difficulties in both defending and attacking from dead-ball situations prompted the change. Briggs, who was appointed to the specialist role in September after joining Slot’s staff last summer, remains highly respected at the club for his work during Liverpool’s title-winning season last year. Responsibility for set pieces will now be handled by Slot and his broader coaching team.
The coaching change coincides with the opening of the January transfer window, which begins on Thursday. This period is critical for all clubs, including Liverpool, to assess their squads. For those at the top, it is a chance to strengthen for a trophy push. For others, it is about survival. The window also forces clubs to make decisions on players whose contracts are nearing an end, to secure their futures before interest from other teams grows.
As Liverpool enters this important period, the focus will be on reinforcing the squad and solidifying the team’s foundations, with improving set piece performance now a clear priority for Slot and his staff.