Forget £117million Morgan Rogers – Chelsea’s best summer signing could be off the pitch with Austin MacPhee grab

CHELSEA’S signing of the summer from Aston Villa might not be Morgan Rogers but instead their set-piece coach – Austin MacPhee. And many Villa supporters may be more gutted about losing the man whose face they emblazoned over that of Christ the Redeemer than their biggest attacking threat. Rogers and MacPhee worked together at Villa last season Credit: Getty Now they’ll join forces at Stamford Bridge Credit: Getty New Blues set piece coach MacPhee, much like Arsenal‘s Nicolas Jover, is part of a new generation of coaches who are becoming equally as important as the players in the starting XI – if not more so. And, like Jover, he’s justifying his level of influence with undeniable results. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Last season, Aston Villa scored 29 set-piece goals – the joint-most across Europe alongside Arsenal – and in the last three seasons, a total of 74 dead-ball situations ended up with the ball in the back of the net. That would probably explain the prominence of “Austin MacPhee, Ole, Ole” being sung in a Brummie accent by the Holte End on numerous chilly nights at Villa Park. Much like in Arsenal’s title-winning season, set-piece goals at Villa Park had form for being celebrated with a little extra vim than those scored from open play – all down to MacPhee’s efficiency, creativity, and lovable character. 46-year-old MacPhee, born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, rocks long Blonde hair and his unique aesthetic – something of a love-child between an Aussie surfing champion, retired drummer, and Jesus Christ (hence the Christ the Redeemer memes on social media) – will certainly stand out on the touchline in west London. His playing career was short-lived, playing in his youth for Forfar Athletic until he was 20, when he moved to the USA to play college soccer with Wilmington Seahawks. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS He spent one year with Romanian club Dacia Unirea Brăila before finishing his career in Japan – so his footballing education is cultured to say the least. Most read in Sport As a coach, he held head coach and assistant head coach roles with Cupar Hearts, Cowdenbeath, St Mirren, Northern Ireland, and Hearts before his niche talent of working specifically with set-pieces was unearthed. After leaving Hearts, MacPhee joined Midtjylland in the Danish league as a specialist set piece coach, then moving on to Villa Park where he really made his name as a dead-ball don. A goal from a corner in Villa’s Europa League final win wrote his name into the Villains’ history books before Chelsea paid an undisclosed fee to bring him to Stamford Bridge. It will have been nowhere near the £117m they paid for Rogers, mind. Arsenal laid the blueprint last season for how set pieces can be the difference between winning the Premier League and falling short. Chelsea, it seems, are looking to follow suit, and know they need to improve in terms of defending set pieces in particular. The Blues, in a season that saw three different head coaches in the dugout backed by former set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva, scored 21 goals coached by the Portuguese specialist, though they conceded 19 – Aston Villa conceded three less with 16. Bernardo Cueva was Chelsea’s set-piece coach last season Credit: Shutterstock Editorial With Cueva, Chelsea were good at attacking set pieces, but poor at defending them Credit: Getty Arsenal conceded just eight. In terms of attacking, it is MacPhee’s creativity that sets him apart from others who also play his role. Goals from set-pieces for Villa last season came with astonishing variety – some being played short, some going straight in, and multiple players playing various different roles to confuse the opposition. The Europa League final against Freiburg was a perfect example, as was Morgan Rogers‘ stunner vs Liverpool earlier on in the season. Unai Emery hailed him as a “Fantastic creator”, and his ability to connect with players was praised by Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez in an interview with The Atheltic, where he said: “He’s got a real knack to connect with the player and that’s what makes him so good at his job.” He will have to pick out the tactical minds in Xabi Alonso‘s Chelsea side who can best play specific roles such as being a blocker, the initial taker, the crosser, and the finisher of the opportunities that will come for the Blues. Perhaps Marc Cucurella will be sorely missed in that sense for his tactical nouse, while keeping someone like Enzo Fernandez could be paramount to success next season, with Reece James‘ deliveries being some of the best in the league. If the Blues and MacPhee can get it right, with only one game a week and plenty of time in midweek to work on their set-pieces in comparison to last season, there could be a Christ the Redeemer mural with MacPhee’s face on it at Stamford Bridge before you know it. Comment now