The transfer window can be a transformative time for football clubs with big ambitions.<\/p>\n
Players are brought in who, hopefully, will help to improve the team and take it to the next level. Those not up to the mark are moved on pastures new.<\/p>\n
Managerial changes are commonplace too, as the incoming head coach can make the sweeping changes he has been employed to make.<\/p>\n
Less headline-worthy are transfers involving other members of staff. But then, Austin MacPhee is no ordinary member of staff.<\/p>\n
The specialist set piece coach, who worked with the Portuguese national team at the World Cup, is leaving Aston Villa<\/a> to take up residence at Chelsea instead.<\/p>\n The fee involved has not been made public, but you suspect it was sizable \u2013 the 46-year-old is partly responsible for more goals than your average \u00a330 million striker.<\/p>\n Modern football is heavily going down the road of the specialist coach.<\/p>\n Clubs have long appointed fitness and goalkeeping coaches to supplement their staff, but now we\u2019re seeing ball-striking specialists as well as talent pathway consultants and even \u2018mind\u2019 coaches.<\/p>\n Set piece coaches are another specialist position that, in years gone by, were barely even considered. But in the modern game, where marginal gains are so important, more and more clubs are turning to expertise in the field of corners, free kicks and throw ins.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s a good reason for that: set piece coaches are a heck of a lot cheaper to find than a 25-goal a season striker \u2013 Chelsea previously paid<\/a> \u00a3750,000 for Bernardo Cueva.<\/p>\n Just take a look at Austin MacPhee. Aston Villa scored more set piece goals than any other team in the Premier League in 2023\/24, as well as adding 18 more in 2025\/26. By way of comparison, Chelsea paid \u00a360 million for Joao Pedro and he scored 15 EPL goals last term.<\/p>\n All told, the Villains notched 29 goals from set pieces in all competitions in 2025\/26, which was the joint-most of all elite clubs in Europe. It\u2019s perhaps no coincidence that Villa\u2019s most successful era in quite some time has come with MacPhee on the training ground.<\/p>\n The Scot worked his way through the ranks as an amateur coach in his homeland, before being assigned set pieces while employed alongside Michael O\u2019Neill with the Northern Irish national team.<\/p>\n They scored eleven set piece goals in ten games in qualifying for Euro 2016, with MacPhee famed for his work in elevating the team to major tournament status.<\/p>\n Spells with Hearts and FC Midtjylland \u2013 one of the early innovators<\/a> in the set piece space \u2013 enhanced MacPhee\u2019s reputation further, before the chance to join Aston Villa was taken.<\/p>\n The fact that his capture by Chelsea has made headlines around the world perhaps tells you just how respected the Scot\u2019s methods \u2013 and results \u2013 are within the game.<\/p>\n Although they exited the 2026 World Cup prematurely to eventual winners Spain, Portugal \u2013 with whom MacPhee moonlighted in the summer \u2013 were full of praise<\/a> for the 46-year-old.<\/p>\n Roberto Martinez commented that \u2018Austin is very creative and transmits passion for his work. He\u2019s got a real knack to connect with the player and that\u2019s what makes him so good at his job.\u2019<\/p>\n Even Bruno Fernandes, who you suspect is very difficult to please, praised his work. \u201cWhen you see results, then you get the belief. But results are not only scoring goals. It\u2019s about everything working out.\u201d<\/p>\n And it was somewhat telling that when Morgan Rogers scored the opening goal from a well-worked routine for Villa against Liverpool back in May, he ran past his teammates to celebrate with MacPhee on the touchline.<\/p>\n Morgan Rogers was straight over to Villa\u2019s set-piece coach Austin MacPhee after he finished off a corner routine in style \ud83e\udec2<\/p>\n He hits 10 league goals in a season for the first time in his career \ud83d\udd1f\u26bd\u2705 pic.twitter.com\/6kVB4kgylA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) May 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nWho Is Austin MacPhee?<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nDead Ball Dynamos<\/h2>\n
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