07 August 2019, by: Leonard Solms

EXCLUSIVE: LIVERPOOL THROW-IN COACH EXPLAINS HOW SECRET WEAPON HELPED REDS’ UCL RUN

This may seem like a minute detail, but not according to Grønnemark. The Danish coach insists that a far larger part of the game hinges on success at throw-ins than many realise.

“There are approximately 40 to 60 throw-ins in a match. It’s not a small thing. Normally, when I get the tapes from Liverpool, if you look at the video, it’s what happens just before the throw-in and then the following situation,” he explained.

“These two videos are approximately 15 minutes together, so 15 minutes of a football game approximately just before the throw-in and then in the following situation.”

Grønnemark is clearly not alone in his belief that throw-ins are a vital part of the game. He provides his services on a freelance basis to not only Liverpool, but also FC Midtjylland in Denmark, KAA Gent in Belgium, and another European club “at the very top” whose identity he is not yet allowed to reveal.

Make no mistake, though — throw-in coaching is a niche which he had to build for himself from the bottom up.

A long throw-in specialist himself during his playing career, Grønnemark played at the “highest youth level” but did not make the cut as a professional. He spent six years in athletics, earning his stripes as a successful relay sprinter before switching to bobsleigh. In 2004, midway through his four-year career in the winter sport, he decided to return to football as a coach.

“I thought ‘hey, if I can make a long throw-in myself, can’t I teach other players to do it?’ So I went down to my local library and tried to find a book about long throw-ins, but there was no book at all. I had to make a throw-in course myself,” he recalled.

Grønnemark launched his coaching career in the Danish Super League and branched out from there after enjoying success. A year ago, he earned a big break after catching the attention of a manager with heaps of success behind him.

There is no questioning Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp’s credentials, but in Grønnemark’s opinion, a key weapon in the German’s arsenal is his ability to admit his own limitations.

“In 2017/18, Liverpool were fourth in the Premier League and they made the Champions League final. Good season, but they lost the ball again and again and again at the throw-in. Jürgen called me and he said: ‘Hey, we tried to do things, but it didn’t work.’

“I think that’s one of the reasons why you are able to work with the small details — if you are admitting that you don’t know everything and can do things better. To be innovative, doing new things, is also about admitting that you can be better in some places.”

Grønnemark himself has grown in leaps and bounds since his coaching career began, never shying away from adding to his philosophy. Once a long throw-in specialist, he now teaches various types of throw-ins all over the pitch.

“At some clubs, they don’t do the long throw-in towards the opponent’s goal. At Liverpool, for example, we have made very few long throw-ins towards the goals. It’s more about keeping possession, creating chances and preventing the other teams from scoring a goal too when we or they have a throw-in.”

Although he is working for a club which currently sits at the summit of European football, Grønnemark does not view his journey as complete. He intends to spread his philosophy far beyond the confines of Melwood.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s South Africa or Asia, South America, USA, Australia. My biggest goal is to change football because there are so many bad throw-ins in football all over the world.”

If Grønnemark’s success at Liverpool is anything to go by, then it is surely only a matter of time before professional football leaves its current throw-in methods — or lack thereof — in the past.

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