Chelsea are set to appoint Austin MacPhee after the specialist coach decided to leave Aston Villa.
Austin MacPhee adds another highly regarded set-piece expert to Xabi Alonso’s backroom team before the new season.
John Townley reports that MacPhee said goodbye to Villa’s players and staff on Friday. Chelsea have not yet formally announced his appointment.
Austin MacPhee to Chelsea strengthens Alonso’s staff
MacPhee joined Aston Villa in August 2021 and remained at the club under Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard and Unai Emery. His detailed attacking routines became an important feature of Villa’s progress during his five-year spell.
The Scottish coach has also worked at international level with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Portugal. He established a strong reputation for finding weaknesses in opponents and designing routines suited to the players available.
His move follows a change within Chelsea’s existing set-piece department. ReadChelsea recently reported that Bernardo Cueva had moved into a technical and advisory role within the wider BlueCo structure.
Sebastian Parrilla was expected to take greater responsibility for set pieces after joining Alonso from Real Madrid. MacPhee’s arrival would give Chelsea another specialist with extensive Premier League experience.
Chelsea have several players who could benefit from his work. Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana offer height, while Cole Palmer and Reece James can provide deliveries from corners and free-kicks.
MacPhee should also help Chelsea improve their defensive organisation at set pieces. Alonso can now divide responsibilities between training-ground delivery, opposition analysis and longer-term preparation.
Austin MacPhee to Chelsea represents a targeted addition to Alonso’s staff rather than another wider coaching reshuffle. An official announcement is expected once his departure from Villa has been completed.
