Chelsea Football Club has appointed Austin MacPhee as their new set-piece coach, a move aimed at significantly improving the team's performance in dead-ball situations. MacPhee, who arrives from Aston Villa, has a reputation for developing creative and effective set-piece routines, often drawing comparisons to strategies used in American football.
MacPhee has already joined Chelsea on their pre-season tour in Hong Kong, immediately immersing himself in his new role. His appointment comes as Chelsea seeks to address a long-standing weakness in set-piece effectiveness, both offensively and defensively. The club's previous set-piece coach, Bernardo Cueva, was moved to an analyst role behind the scenes after limited progress.
Last season, Chelsea struggled with conceding goals from set-pieces, frequently allowing opponents to score from flick-ons at the near post and subsequent tap-ins by unmarked players. This recurring issue was evident even in recent pre-season friendlies. Statistics from the past Premier League season show Chelsea conceded more goals from corners than only two other clubs, while their own corner threat was significantly lower.
In contrast, MacPhee's tenure at Aston Villa saw them transform into one of Europe's most formidable set-piece teams. Under his guidance, Villa scored 72 non-penalty goals from dead-ball situations between the 2021-22 season and the end of the last campaign, a figure surpassed only by Liverpool and Arsenal. These goals accounted for 25 percent of Villa's total non-penalty goals, the highest percentage among ever-present Premier League sides. In the 2023-24 season alone, only Bayer Leverkusen scored more set-piece goals across Europe's top five leagues.
MacPhee's methods are characterized by a variety of creative plays, rather than relying on a single tactic. His approach has been described as akin to an NFL playbook, with unique moves tailored to specific opponents and detailed instructions for each player. He further reinforces these routines by sending players animations of their movements via their phones.
Examples of his impact at Villa include Youri Tielemans' opener in the Europa League final and Morgan Rogers' goal against Liverpool. Both goals stemmed from intricate corner routines designed to create scoring opportunities. MacPhee also orchestrated a free-kick against Manchester United where a player distracted the goalkeeper, leading to a well-placed shot. His detailed approach is evident in training sessions, where he breaks down routines with graphics and replays.
Before his success at Aston Villa, MacPhee worked with clubs like FC Midtjylland, Hearts, and national teams including Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Portugal. His work with Northern Ireland was instrumental in their qualification for Euro 2016, where they reached the last 16, scoring 11 goals from set-plays in ten games. Chelsea will be looking for a similar immediate impact from their new tactical specialist.