Liverpool Dismiss First-Team Coach Following Candid Remarks from Virgil van Dijk and Arne Slot
Liverpool have parted ways with set-piece coach Aaron Briggs as concerns continue to mount over the club’s poor performance from dead-ball situations this season. Aside from penalties, the Reds have managed just three Premier League goals from set pieces, a tally bettered only by bottom-placed Wolves, who have scored twice.
With the issue becoming increasingly hard to ignore, Liverpool have moved to address it by dismissing Briggs from his role within the first-team coaching staff. Journalist Paul Joyce reports that there are currently no plans to appoint a direct replacement, with responsibility for set-piece preparation instead being shared among the remaining coaches.
Premier League teams with the fewest set-piece goals (excluding penalties)
Wolves – 2
Liverpool – 3
Brentford – 3
Burnley – 4
Nottingham Forest – 4
Liverpool confirm Briggs’ departure
The club announced the decision in an official statement, expressing gratitude for Briggs’ contribution during his time at Anfield, which included last season’s title-winning campaign.
“Liverpool FC can confirm Aaron Briggs has departed his role as set-piece coach of the men’s first team,” the statement read.
“Having joined the club in July 2024 – initially as an individual development coach – Briggs played his part in our Premier League title success last season as part of Arne Slot’s backroom team. He departs with the thanks and best wishes of everyone at the club.”
While the announcement struck a respectful tone, recent public comments from both Arne Slot and club captain Virgil van Dijk appear to shed further light on the thinking behind the decision.
Van Dijk voices frustration
Liverpool’s struggles defending set pieces have been particularly costly, with the team currently holding a worrying set-piece goal difference of minus nine. It was little surprise, then, to hear van Dijk air his concerns following last weekend’s 2–1 victory, a match in which Wolves again found the net from a corner through Santiago Bueno.
“There have been games where we defended them well,” van Dijk said. “But the reality is we’ve conceded too many set-piece goals and we don’t score enough ourselves.
“That’s something we have to improve. A lot of the time it’s not even about the first contact — it’s the second phase that really hurts us.
“Is it mental? I hope not. If it’s in your head, then that’s a problem. For me personally, it’s not.”
He added: “It hasn’t been good enough, and we all know that. We’ve talked about it and we have to fix it. That’s why we work on it in almost every training session.”
Most set-piece goals conceded in the Premier League
Liverpool – 12
Bournemouth – 12
West Ham – 11
Nottingham Forest – 11
Crystal Palace – 10
Slot admits shared frustration
Slot has also been open about his dissatisfaction, admitting that the entire club is irritated by Liverpool’s ongoing problems from dead balls. Speaking before the Wolves match, the head coach highlighted how stark the contrast is with last season.
“We all know how important set pieces are — more than ever,” Slot said. “That’s why we’re so annoyed by our current record. It’s extremely frustrating because at this point last season, when we went on to win the league, we hadn’t conceded a single set-piece goal.
“You simply can’t compete for the top four, let alone the title, with a set-piece record like ours. We’re the only team near the top of the table with a negative set-piece balance.”
After once again conceding from a set piece in the 2–1 win, Slot added: “Unfortunately, we’re maybe the only side that hardly ever scores from set pieces — and even worse, we keep conceding from them.”
Taken together, those comments help explain why Liverpool have decided to reshuffle responsibilities behind the scenes as they look to resolve one of their most glaring weaknesses this season.
