Long Throws Making a Comeback in English Football
The long throw-in is back, declared England manager Thomas Tuchel.
For some, the long throw-in never truly disappeared. Between 2008 and 2012, Rory Delap of Stoke City frequently launched the ball into the penalty area from the sidelines, instilling fear in opposing defenses.
At the time, Arsène Wenger, then manager of Arsenal, remarked, "You cannot say it is football anymore. It is more rugby on the goalkeepers than football."
The threat posed by Delap and Stoke was so significant that Hull City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill once kicked the ball out for a corner to evade a throw-in.
Now, the long throw is regaining prominence as an attacking strategy in English football.
According to data from Opta, during the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, 11 out of 20 teams executed at least one long throw into the opposition's penalty area, a significant increase from just four teams during the same period last season.
Tuchel is advocating for England to consider utilizing the long throw as a potential avenue for success in the upcoming World Cup next summer. Following a lackluster 2-0 victory over Andorra on Saturday, this tactic could inject some much-needed excitement into the team's play.
Long Throws on the Rise in Premier League
"Throw-ins are underestimated—by coaches, players, commentators, and fans—as something you should just do and see what happens," said Thomas Gronnemark, who served as Liverpool's first throw-in coach from 2018 to 2023.
When Gronnemark joined Liverpool, manager Jürgen Klopp was unfamiliar with the concept of a throw-in coach. However, under Gronnemark's guidance, the Reds' possession stats from throw-ins improved dramatically, rising from 45.4% to 68.4%, propelling them from 18th to 1st in the league.
Premier League clubs are increasingly recognizing the potential of the long throw. The frequency of throws of at least 20 meters that end in the opposition box has risen from an average of 0.9 per game in the 2020-21 season to 1.5 in the current season.
Furthermore, the percentage of long throws resulting in goals has increased from 0.03% in 2020-21 to 0.38% in the current season.
Gronnemark now works with Brentford, which has excelled in this area, scoring five goals from throw-ins last season and generating 48 chances with an expected goals (xG) of 7.2.
Following his summer move to Tottenham, former Brentford manager Thomas Frank is implementing similar tactics. Last season, Spurs made only six long throws into the opposition's penalty area but have already executed eight this season.
Barry's Study Highlights Throw-in Importance
Tuchel's assistant, Anthony Barry, focused his university dissertation on throw-ins in the Premier League. He analyzed over 60 hours of footage from the 2018-19 season, examining every one of the 16,380 throw-ins.
One of Barry's key findings was that throwing the ball laterally or backwards can enhance success rates compared to forward throws, with higher-ranked teams employing this strategy more frequently.
As Tuchel prepares for the World Cup, he has acknowledged the time constraints and indicated that focusing on throw-ins is a wise strategy. "The long throw-in is back. But we do not have a lot of time," Tuchel stated. "Once we arrive at the World Cup, all these details matter, so we will discuss long throw-ins, along with long kicks from the goalkeeper, and not just short plays."
Gronnemark added, "If I’m assisting national teams, it’s usually during their camp before major tournaments. If Tuchel said, ‘We want to improve the long throw-in,’ it would be quite straightforward for me to help. It would be beneficial for England to incorporate long throws occasionally, especially when it can be a dangerous weapon."