Why the long throw-in is the Premier League's favourite secret weapon again: How it revolutionised Liverpool, the THIRTY things you have to get right with every throw and the tricks teams are using to defend them
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The article discusses the evolving role and importance of long throw-ins in the Premier League, highlighting Liverpool’s strategic approach under Jurgen Klopp, influenced by their throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark. Gronnemark, who holds the Guinness World Record for the longest throw-in, emphasizes that the key to effective throw-ins is creating space and maintaining possession rather than merely using them as set-piece weapons.
At Liverpool, the focus has been on enhancing throw-in length to increase the throwing area and offer more passing options to teammates, rather than just launching direct throws into dangerous areas. When Gronnemark started working with Liverpool, the team ranked 18th out of 20 in possession retention from throw-ins under pressure. Over his first season, Liverpool improved dramatically to first in the Premier League and second in Europe, with 14 goals created from throw-in possession over three seasons. This underscores how controlling possession from throw-ins can lead directly to goal-scoring opportunities.
The article contrasts this with other approaches seen in football, such as the exceptional long throw-ins of Rory Delap at Stoke City, who was known as the “Human Sling” for his powerful and accurate throws capable of directly creating goals. Delap’s throws were a direct attacking weapon, producing numerous goals and causing considerable problems for opposing defenses.
Grönnemark’s philosophy focuses on the strategic dimension of throw-ins: a longer throw increases tactical options and helps keep the ball in play to build attacks patiently. This nuanced approach is part of Liverpool’s wider analytical and tactical innovations in using throw-ins as a tool for possession control and eventual scoring, rather than a simplistic long-ball method.
PP