How the 'throw in' has aided Liverpool's charge to glory

You could look at several reasons and point at an assortment of variables why and how Liverpool conquered the world, albeit briefly, in the space of a little over a year.

The 2019-20 Premier League champions have a world-class manager, a star-studded team, exceptional recruitment, one of the best in-stadia atmospheres across the globe and so on. But you will be remiss if you pay no heed to the work that goes on behind the scenes at Anfield.

Liverpool's experienced coaches and analytics personnel work in tandem to scrutinise every aspect of their opponents' as well as their own game.

One such addition to their backroom staff happened in the summer of 2018 when Liverpool took on board the Danish athlete Thomas Gronnemark who is far and away the world's foremost authority on throw-ins.

"I didn't know he was going to call me. I wasn't on the phone when he first called me, so it went to voicemail. But then he called again and told me that he's a fan of my work and invited me to Melwood", recounted Gronnemark in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda.

Thomas Gronnemark and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at Melwood

"Only recently have I started to get some recognition among fans and media, but I've been doing this since 2004. I went to the local library in Denmark to find something about throw-ins, but there was nothing. So it took me about six months to create my own course."

The path to recognition for Gronnemark did not come easily because football, a game steeped in tradition, is inhibited by a bevvy of old fashioned views that have been prevalent for a while. But the newly appointed throw-in coach realised early on that there was potential for Liverpool to significantly improve in the throw-in department.

Thomas Gronnemark (second right) with Liverpool players at a training session in Melwood.

"Most people think it's marginal gains, but there are about 40 to 60 throw-in situations in a game, and approximately 15-20 minutes are spent on throw-in related situations. So for me, there are gigantic gains to be made. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson have both dramatically improved their throw-in ranges since I have worked with them."

"I told the players on the first day that you lose the ball about 50% of the time after a throw-in situation. If those sort of numbers were with your feet, you would probably be playing Sunday league football instead."

His aptly christened 'Long, Fast and Clever' throw-in philosophy has taken Thomas Gronnemark around the globe and has also benefitted clubs like Ajax, RB Leipzig, Atlanta United in MLS and Gent in Belgium apart from Liverpool.

"To describe it briefly, the long throw-in is important because it increases the range of zones for the players so that they have a much greater area to throw into. The fast throw-in is all about taking them quickly, like quick free-kicks when the opposition is out of shape. Conversely, it is also about how to quickly get back in shape when defending a throw-in."

"Finally, the clever throw-in is a (combination of a) few drills about how to better utilise the spaces to create goal-scoring opportunities. I have about 15 different throw-in tools that help the players create such opportunities."

How Liverpool have benefitted from better throw-ins

Liverpool have immensely benefitted from better throw-ins.

It is no coincidence that Liverpool topped the 2019-20 Premier League charts when it came to highest possession retention in throw-in situations as well as most goals scored immediately after such situations (14). Roberto Firmino's winners for Liverpool against Spurs and Wolves away from home back in January came from throw-ins.

However, Gronnemark's journey hasn't always been without its fair share of naysayers. Criticism from certain quarters has always been forthcoming, perhaps none more prominently when former Scottish footballer and pundit Andy Gray ridiculed his appointment by Liverpool with rather characteristic shortsightedness:

"I've got one. I want to be the first kick-off coach."

Thomas Gronnemark says that while he knows that his job is not the most conventional, there is still a lot to be learned and discovered about the art of throw-ins. But when asked if he pays any heed to comments such as Gray's, he replied:

"It doesn't affect me at all. Because they don't know anything about throw-ins. I'll say that it's really important to listen to criticism in life, and I really listen if some coaches or players have something constructive to add."

For a man in possession of such niche expertise, one would think that keeping his knowledge away from the public domain would be his ticket to a plethora of elite jobs in football across the globe. But Thomas Gronnemark has been more than open-minded with some of his coaching techniques regarding throw-ins.

"My biggest dream is to help and inspire coaches all over the world and change the perception regarding throw-ins and maybe use this job to travel to different places like the USA or even India at some point."

Over 2300 coaches around the world receive regular tips and coaching drills courtesy Gronnemark's newsletter thomasgronnemark.com/free while the man himself continues work on his all-revealing book on throw-ins.

With Gronnemark having signed an extension with Liverpool for the upcoming 2020-21 season, we can surely look forward to more long, fast and clever throw-ins from the champions of England.

Edited by Bhargav