As Newcastle United look to add new players on the pitch, it’s important to remember that the club has a new addition to the dugout.
It was confirmed earlier this month that acclaimed set-piece specialist Martin Mark would become our new first team set-piece coach.
Having seen the success the likes of Arsenal and Brentford have enjoyed on set pieces since their refocus on the technique, Mark’s appointment could very well transform us into one of the most potent teams in the league in terms of offering an aerial threat.
And Eddie Howe believes that the Dane’s arrival could be decisive and has come at the right time for the club.
Howe on Mark’s arrival
In an interview released by the club, Howe has addressed the club’s recent appointment of Martin Mark as set-piece coach, with the club going to great lengths to find the right person for the job.
“It’s something we’ve been looking to fill now for two-and-a-half years, but we needed to find the right person. We really needed a specialist to just solely focus on that area.”
“So Martin will come in, and I don’t think he’ll be able to cover everything ‘one man’, you have to divide it up. It’s a key role and we really trust him.”
After a summer filled with zoom calls and in-depth conversations, Howe and the club seem more than satisfied that they’ve found the right man for the job.
“Certainly made, again, an impressive start. He’s got a real presence about him, and hopefully he can make a positive impact.”
Howe: It’s not a one-man job
Although our numbers could be better, we’ve still seen some unique set-piece techniques in the past couple of all seasons, directly from the mind of ‘Mad Dog’ Jason Tindall.
And even with Mark’s appointment and leadership over set-pieces, the gaffer expects his right hand man will still be involved in what we see on the pitch.
“Jason’s been doing a fantastic job covering a whole breadth of set plays, such a demanding job now and the detail we have to go in to to be successful is probably all-consuming.”
“It’s not a one man role, it’s too big when you consider set plays is everything from corners to free kicks to goal kicks, for and against and so on and so on.”
“To get the detail and level we want to get to, we have to divide those roles up. So that will continue to be the case.”
