Thomas Gronnemark previously worked as Liverpool’s throw-in coach between 2018 and 2023
Thomas Gronnemark has opened the door to a return to Liverpool after previously serving as the club’s throw-in coach under Jurgen Klopp. The Dane first started working with the Reds in 2018 before leaving his role in 2023.
Liverpool have struggled defensively when it comes to set-pieces this season, culminating in the departure of specialist coach Aaron Briggs. Arne Slot’s side have conceded 12 goals from dead-ball situations in 18 top-flight games, while they have only scored three times from set-pieces.
While the focus of such struggles has predominantly been from corners and free-kicks, the Reds have endured similar woes against long throws.
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Brentford are one of the sides to have taken advantage of such deficiencies when facing the reigning Premier League champions, with the Bees one of the sides Gronnemark currently works with on a consultancy basis.
They recorded a 3-2 win over Liverpool back in October, with Dango Ouattara opening the scoring after just five minutes off the back of a Michael Kayode long throw.
Andy Robertson offered a blunt assessment of the Reds’ defeat at the time as he admitted they failed to follow their game-plan as they once again came unstuck against set-pieces.
“We know how difficult… how good a set-piece team they are,” he said. “We’ve worked on the long-throw and everything, and five minutes in you concede three long throw-ins. One of them you concede from.
“It’s not good enough, you play into their hands and have got an uphill battle from there. Kept fighting but nowhere near good enough.”
But Gronnemark’s successful partnership with Brentford would not stop him from making a return to Liverpool, with the Dane admitting he would welcome the chance to work with the Reds again.
“Liverpool are always welcome to call me,” he told RG. “The only way I wouldn’t say yes to Liverpool is if I were already coaching another top Premier League team that’s actually a direct competitor.
“I’m not talking about a team like Brentford, and as long as I’m not full-time at another club, as long as my contract gives me the green light, I’d say yes.
“Of course, with my history with the club, my connection with the fans, and people who are writing to me every day on social media and thanking me for my time with the team, I’d say yes in most cases.”
He continued: “It’s been great to be at Brentford. It’s really important that my throw-in coaching is really different from club to club.
“When I was in Liverpool, Ajax, and Dortmund, it was mainly the fast and clever throwing, even though I did a little bit of long throw-in coaching to improve the throwing area of the players and give them better counterattack opportunities, but in the previous three seasons, it was primarily long throwing.
“Midtjylland scored 11 long throw-in goals and also got two or three penalties from long throw-ins, so if you ask me, they were the best team in the world on long throw-ins, and they were also top of the Europa League in that department.
“But it’s really important that when I coach different clubs, I always tailor-make it to the team’s playing style and formation, the wishes from the managers and owners.”
Gronnemark also opened up how he came to work with Liverpool in the first place back in 2018, revealing his shock at receiving a surprise call from Klopp.
“I was totally in shock when Jurgen called me,” he recalled. “I was visiting a chocolate shop with my family; I saw the +44 and thought it was an English guy trying to sell me pens.
“I listened to the voicemail, and it was a message from Jurgen. I tried to call him back, but he didn’t pick up. My heart was just pounding, and I said to my wife that Jurgen had called, and she was just as surprised as me.
“I took the call on my way home in the car, where I drove directly into a grass field with the car when he called. He told me that he was sitting in a beach chair, reading the German newspaper Bild while on vacation in Tenerife, and he came across an article about me….he had never heard of a throw-in coach before.
“Even though Liverpool had a great 2017/18 season, finishing fourth and losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League Final, they were really bad at the throw-ins.
“That’s why he invited me to Melwood, and it should only have been a meeting, but he was already so convinced after that meeting that I had the chance to coach 21 Premier League players the day after.
“I signed a six-month contract the following week, and I would end up winning seven titles in five seasons with Liverpool.”
