Sheffield Wednesday boss answers question on potential set piece appointment at Hillsborough

Sheffield Wednesday haven't scored from set pieces enough this season, it's something that Danny Röhl is very aware of.
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The Owls have scored only five goals from set pieces so far this season, the joint lowest in the English Football League, and none of their centre backs have managed to get amongst the goals in the Championship up to now. Akin Famewo should've done against Rotherham United, but the officials decided otherwise.

Röhl is hoping that that can change in the final run-in as they go in search of promotion, and he's suggested that it'd be helpful to have a set pieces coach on board in the future - for now, though, he's happy with what he's working with at the club.

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When asked about the potential of a specific coach to help on that front one day, he said, "I have good assistant coaches that take responsibility for set pieces, and it’s always a special topic. It’s more and more common that you have a specialist like a set pieces who - I had this experience in the German national team, and I think it’s really helpful because that person only has to focus on this part of the game. It means that they also have more time.

"What we do in the summer, let’s have a look. I think at the moment we’ll keep doing it like we are, and hopefully we’ll have a bit more luck in the coming games and we can score - then nobody will need to speak about this. We can think about the new season then.

"But it’s a big topic, when you look at goals normally 30% are from set pieces - and of course we can improve. But my assistants are trying, and it’s also team tactics - you don’t just say ‘Get the ball in the box and we’ll do something. Everybody has their role in the moments, and that’s what we have to improve.

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"It’s for the players, they need to understand that set pieces can be useful for winning games. I won’t say that looking at set pieces is boring, but it’s not always the action you want to have as a footballer. To take points it’s very important - we can improve, we have to improve, and I’ll have some summaries after the season."

Tomorrow Wednesday face Ipswich Town, who have scored nearly three times as many goals from set pieces (14) than the Owls, and the visitors will be keen to make sure that they don't add to that tally at Portman Road.