Southampton FC look on the verge of set-piece success with new wrinkles

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side only managed to score nine goals in their final 12 Premier League games of the season. Six of them came from set-pieces.

The breakdown of those goals looks like this:

Direct free-kicks: 2

Penalties: 1

Corner: 2

Open Play: 1

READ MORE: The Southampton youngster who earned a pro contract despite two years injured

In total, Saints proved to be one of the more effective teams in the division from set-pieces last season, scoring 14 times, good for joint-fifth. Naturally, that was helped by James Ward-Prowse’s penchant for the spectacular from dead-ball situations, notching four times from direct free-kicks.

But that doesn’t quite give Saints enough credit. They also ranked sixth for expected goals from set-pieces in the Premier League showing that the impressive record was no fluke.

This season, there was always going to be a change to the way things worked in regards to Saints’ set-pieces. The man who led Hasenhuttl’s side in that department - Dave Watson - was let go alongside Kelvin Davis and Craig Flemming in May. 

Romeo Lavia celebrates scoring from a corner against Chelsea. Image: Stuart Martin (Image: Romeo Lavia celebrates scoring from a corner against Chelsea. Image: Stuart Martin)

Initially, the job overseeing set-pieces fell to Alex Clapham but not long into the new season, recently-hired assistant coach Ruben Selles took charge of the set-pieces. There is understandably something of an adjustment period whenever a new coach takes over and the underlying set-piece statistics have dipped slightly thus far.

Saints have scored twice from set-pieces this season, Che Adams’ first at Leciester coming from a Mohammed Salisu long throw-in while Romeo Lavia equalised against Chelsea after latching onto a half-cleared corner.

That ranks Saints joint-ninth in the Premier League. Their set-piece expected goals sits at 12th and the number of shots they’ve created from set-pieces is 8th, with 24.

It was never going to happen overnight but chief achitect in charge of putting Selles' plans into action on the pitch, Ward-Prowse, is excited about the budding possibilities.

“Yeah, it’s exciting," the Saints captain told the Daily Echo. "Obviously, the club made the change in the summer and I think in football, I have noticed that everybody has their own different ethos and the way they want to put across their messaging and ideas.

“It’s been really exciting to see the ideas he’s got. You can tell he is incredibly enthusiastic with it.

“He is very diligent with them. There’s no mucking around, there’s no grey areas there and I think that sends a good message across to the team.

“That’s one thing that he has given us – is that freedom and flexibility. If we want to change something or we don’t feel comfortable with a certain thing, he is always open to change.

“I think that’s positive for us, for sure.”

Despite the relative lack of success thus far in terms of goals, we can already see some of the wrinkles added this season to Saints’ corner game. 

The first details of note come from before the corner is actually taken. Ward-Prowse took the most corners of any player in the Premier League last season and unsurprisingly, the midfielder has been on the vast majority of Saints’ corners this time around as well. 

The first intricacy to Saints' new corner routines is in the decoy runner used to take a player out of the mix. The decoy runner or 'the remover' as we'll call him is usually someone unlikely to actually do much with the ball in the air.

Here is an example of Romain Perraud taking up the role against Chelsea. The Frenchman is never likely to be the target of Ward-Prowse's delivery but he starts in space at the near-post, where the cross will be aimed towards.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

But before the corner is actually taken, Perraud darts towards Ward-Prowse and his marker follows, in turn opening up the dangerous space at the near post.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

The delivery is indeed aimed towards the space at the near post but Ward-Prowse overhits it slightly and Thiago Silva is able to head away.

here is another example of Moi Elyounoussi doing the same against Wolves. Like Perraud, he starts at the near post...

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

A Wolves player follows and while Elyounoussi is never likely to get the ball, it takes a Wolves defender out of the equation and opens up space for Saints players to run into.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

This corner leads to Armel Bella-Kotchap getting his head to the ball but the effort is blocked.

The next point of note is in how the Saints’ runners set themselves up. They don't have just one starting formation but a common set-up this season has been to have the runners start in one clump.

Here is an example of that against Chelsea...

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

As soon as Ward-Prowse prepares to deliver the ball, the Saints players start to shift, beginning with Adams who moves to the back of the clump.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

Adams and Aribo make staggered runs towards the near post while Salisu and Bella-Kotchap move to the far post. The ball falls to Salisu but his header is cleared off the line.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

While there are four Saints players to four Chelsea players in the initial set-up, this clumped structure stops the opposition from getting close enough to make contact before the ball is delivered.

Below is a similar set-up against Manchester United...

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

There are numerous iterations of this starting set-up but in this case, the two at the back make near-post runs and the two at the front drift to the far post.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

It works as Aribo wins the first ball before it falls to Bella-Kotchap who smashes over the bar from close range.

Another common starting set-up from Saints this season at corners has included far less trickery, making the intentions clear by crowding around the opposition goalkeeper.

In the below example at Aston Villa, Saints have five players crowding the six-yard box as Ward-Prowse gets set to deliver the ball.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

The benefit of this can be two-fold, as seen in separate passages against Chelsea. The first of these benefits is fairly obvious as Ward-Prowse delivers a ball right on top of Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy. Thiago Silva ends up heading it away at the last-second.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

The second benefit of this set-up is that it opens up space through to the edge of the box. This can lead to both intentional and less intentional rewards.

Below is an example of the potential positive byproduct of crashing the six-yard box. For this corner against Chelsea, Saints don't start with their players on the goalkeeper but they quickly crowd the six-yard box with the ball in the air.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

This in turn opens up space at the edge of the box where the ball falls to Romeo Lavia following Cesar Azpilicueta's partial clearance at the near post.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

We all know what happens next. With time and space to pick his spot, Lavia made no mistake - finishing low past Mendy for his maiden Saints goal.

And just for fun, here is how Selles and Hasenhuttl came together to react to Lavia's goal.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

The other - more intentional - benefit of the way Saints set-up from corners is the outlet it gives them on the edge of the box.

In this example at Leicester, Saints have five players in and around the six yard box with a sixth - Moussa Djenepo - acting as 'the remover'.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

All that pressure leaves Elyounoussi free on the edge of the box where Ward-Prowse goes directly to him.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

In this case, Elyounoussi dawdles slightly on the ball and the shot is closed down. But it is certainly a good option to have and adds variety to Saints' set-pieces.

Saints are yet to score directly from a corner this season, but the goal is coming. Obviously, we can't say that with full certainty, but looking back on the season there's every reason to believe that is the case.

Despite not being the most physically imposing side, Saints do have real weapons with the ball in the air - notably Bella-Kotchap and Salisu. The two are proving incredibly tough for opposing defences to mark, Bella-Kotchap, in particular, finding significant joy.

Crucially though, the duo are making an impact together. Here is one example of that from the recent defeat to Wolves.

Like in the clump examples above, Bella-Kotchap starts directly behind Salisu with Wolves defenders ahead.

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

Salisu pushes forward, driving the Wolves defender back and in turn opening up space for Bella-Kotchap in the centre of the box. 

Image: Wyscout (Image: Image: Wyscout)

Unfortunately, on this occasion, Bella-Kotchap heads wide. But it's a recipe for success and a recipe Saints have found success from on other occasions this season.

With Ward-Prowse's exper deliveries, the inherent danger of Saints' central defenders, and the new alterations to their set-piece routines, the goals. are coming. It's just a matter of time.

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