EDDIE HOWE wants to hire a new secret weapon to help Newcastle United break into the top three – of set-piece kings!
The Magpies boss achieved legendary status at St James’ Park by ending their 70-year wait for a major trophy.
Howe topped off that Carabao Cup Wembley triumph by leading his team to a fifth-placed Premier League finish to also secure Champions League qualification.
The 47-year-old is wasting no time basking in that glory though, and is on the look-out for a new face to add to his backroom staff.
Newcastle are advertising for a set-piece coach to “work closely with the first team coaching staff, analysts and players to maximise performance outcomes from dead-ball situations”.
His assistant Jason Tindall has been the lead on dead-ball situations for the past few years and has been pretty effective.
Just six clubs scored more from dead-ball scenarios this season but they have been even better defensively.
Only Aston Villa, Manchester City and Brentford conceded fewer goals from set-pieces than Newcastle’s tally of eight last term.
But the meticulous Howe now wants more and is “looking for an experienced and innovative elite level coach to support our first team by leading the strategic planning, design, and execution of all offensive and defensive set-play routines.”
The job, which Toon want filled by June 16, adds: “Collaborating with the wider analysis team you will conduct detailed video and data based analysis to identify set-piece trends and vulnerabilities, delivering high-quality, position specific training sessions to ensure high performance.
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“This is an outstanding opportunity to directly impact the continued growth of an ambitious Premier League club.”
It also states that applicants must possess a Uefa A licence and “have significant experience of set-play coaching and development gained in an elite coaching environment” as well as needing to be “fully up to date with current global trends and innovations”.
There is no suggestion that Howe is not happy with Tindall and the rest of the current staff’s set-piece planning, but rather he is just chasing that extra few per cent to help his men improve at both ends of the pitch.
In fact, Howe was full of praise for his No2 and the rest of those that focus on set-pieces.
He said earlier this season: “There’s always a team, it’s never one person. Jason will be the first to say that.
“Jason spends a lot of time on set-plays. Kieran Taylor, our analyst, spends a lot of time on set plays. We work on them individually and collectively.
“Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. The goals need to come from somewhere and there needs to be a regular source.
“Congratulations to everyone who does the work on them. Ultimately the players are the ones who have to do it and the staff will acknowledge that.”
