Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Ryan Mason has been put in charge of attacking set-pieces, crediting his assistant for the success the team have had from dead-ball situations this season.
Despite losing one of the sharpest penalty box strikers in the game, Harry Kane, last summer, Tottenham have still remained a huge threat in set-piece situations this season.
The Lilywhites have mixed things up nicely between playing it short and direct deliveries, and have not been shy of committing bodies forward.
While Spurs lost their primary set-piece taker, James Maddison, to an injury over two months ago, Pedro Porro has stepped up and demonstrated his dead-ball skills, delivering dangerous crosses into the box time and again.
Tottenham looked a major threat on set-pieces once again at Old Trafford, with Richarlison heading in a first-half equaliser after rising the highest to meet a brilliant whipped delivery from Porro and Cristian Romero saw an effort come off the crossbar after getting on the end of another inch-perfect ball in from the Spaniard.
Ryan Mason is in charge of Tottenham set-pieces now
Speaking after the 2-2 draw against Man Utd, Postecoglou credited Mason for the success Spurs have had in indirect free-kicks while revealing that Mile Jedinak has helped shore up the team while defending set-pieces.
The Tottenham head coach said (via Football.London): “Ryan Mason is in charge of attacking set-pieces. He’s done an outstanding job all year. Mile [Jedinak as well] in charge of defensive set-pieces I thought we were brilliant. We’ve been really good in that space all year and it’s a credit to both.
“All the coaches put in a real big shift this week. We knew we were going to have players in there playing their first game for a while or first time ever and all of them to a man did an outstanding job to prepare the team.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I do wonder if seeing Gianni Vio’s work from close quarters last season would have perhaps helped Mason when it comes to coming up with set-piece routines.
Even though we perhaps do not have as many aerial threats in the box as we have done previously, we look a major threat every single time we win a free kick or a corner.