‘The Timing Was Bad’: Manchester United Coach Reflects on Surviving Erik ten Hag Exodus

Georgson joined United in the summer. (Image: 2024 James Gill – Danehouse)

Manchester United’s set-piece coach Andreas Georgson has explained his role at the club after his appointment in the summer.

Eric Ramsay was appointed in the summer of 2021 and joined from Chelsea to ‘work one-on-one with individual players’ and ‘take ownership over training on the side’s set-plays’.

Ramsay didn’t have specialist previous experience in set-pieces and eventually said it was a ‘bit of a false narrative’ that his role at United involved solely looking after that area.

Until the MEN’s article on Ramsay last year, there was a misconception about his day-to-day responsibilities at Carrington and he was wrongly criticised for set-pieces, but the young coach left United in the latter stage of last season and Georgson was appointed in the summer.

Georgson left his role as manager of Lillestrom to join United in July. He previously worked as a set-piece coach at Southampton and was brought to St Mary’s Stadium by United’s technical director Jason Wilcox, who was understood to be behind his appointment again.

Erik ten Hag was sacked last month and the majority of his coaches departed after the conclusion of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim spell but Georgson was a Wilcox appointment.

Georgson has been kept to work with Ruben Amorim and, speaking in an interview with Skanesport this week, he explained what responsibilities he has as the set-piece coach.

“I am responsible for fixed situations, individual development and drive the work with our identity as a team together with the head coach,” said Georgson.

“The job was perfect, but the timing was bad. My first special competence is set pieces and throw-ins and that is also what we have prioritised during the first period. That’s where I have a unique knowledge bank and a unique method, which has worked in all clubs.

“Over time, we have also laid the foundations for the individual development programme and our identity as a team, and slowly I have also started those processes, which is very fun.

“Few think it’s fun to practice, but everyone knows that a third of goals are scored on set pieces. I have to be clear to the players. ‘Less is more’ is often true.

“I’d rather practice fixed situations with full attention for ten minutes than for two hours without commitment, these are details that can statistically decide five table positions up or down.”

Georgson has a strong CV, having worked in coaching roles focusing on set-pieces for Brentford, Arsenal and Southampton.