They may only seem small details, but the work of specialist coach Andy Parslow could make a big difference to our form going forward.
“It’s just about marginal gains – it’s really quite simple,” said recently appointed Restarts Coach Andy. “I looked at things last Summer and if I remember correctly – the average conversion for corners for example, where goals had been scored, was just under two-and-a-half percent, which is next to nothing.
“The best team in the league last season, which was Rotherham who scored twelve from their corners, were up five percent. If we can make a difference by two or three percent, maybe five more goals from attacking corners, that can turn draws into wins, losses into draws and that equates to points which is essential."
Wimbledon head to Bloomfield Road tomorrow to face Blackpool and Andy's new role is becoming increasingly important, in our bid to climb the League One table.
“It’s taking care of the small details and doing everything I can to try and help us to be the best that we can be in these situations," said Andy.
“Every time the ball goes dead, that’s when I get to work. So, it’s throw-ins, free-kicks, corners, kick-offs and I want to start looking at goal kicks. It’s for and against – the attacking and the defensive side of things. Some are more linked towards creating goal scoring opportunities and some are just linked to giving us more momentum in possession. It’s just giving us the best possible opportunity for that”
Andy’s path to Plough Lane took him from Luton Town to Brentford and most recently Watford where he built up his coaching experience before joining our Academy in the Summer of 2019. That’s when he first got to work with our new Head Coach Mark Robinson and First Team Coach Rob Tuvey.
“The players have been fantastic,” said Andy. “They’ve been really receptive to all the ideas. There’s been quite a shift - a cultural shift – and this is another layer to it.
“What I’ve loved recently is that it’s not just a case of I’m coming to the players with an idea of what we’re going to do. The players are texting me and saying, ‘Have you seen this corner?’ ‘Have you seen this routine?’ and ‘What should we do in this situation?’
“There’s more two-way communication and more ownership from the players and that’s been a really positive step. That shows they are thinking about it and not just taking on information. They’re being proactive.”
You can watch the full interview with our new Restarts Coach Andy Parslow below, via the link to our official YouTube channel.