James French: The set-piece obsessive Manchester City have taken from Liverpool

Harrison Kingston, Morocco's director of performance analysis, frequently relies on James French, Manchester City's new set-piece coach, for his encyclopaedic knowledge of set-piece routines. Having worked together as analysts at Liverpool for nearly a decade, Kingston contacts French when struggling to recall specific plays, and French consistently provides precise details or relevant clips, sometimes dating back years like 2015.

French joined Manchester City this summer after being recruited from Liverpool as part of Pep Guardiola's staff overhaul, replacing Carlos Vicens. While Vicens had a broader assistant manager-like role, French focuses purely on dead-ball situations. His impact was immediate, with City scoring three goals from corners in their four Club World Cup games. Guardiola notably hugged French after Jeremy Doku scored from one of his corner routines against Wydad. French's touchline presence is expected to raise his public profile, similar to Arsenal's Nicolas Jover.

This is French's first formal coaching position, but his expertise developed over 13 years as an opposition analyst behind the scenes at Liverpool. During his tenure there, particularly between 2018 and 2022, he helped Liverpool become the Premier League's most effective attacking set-piece team. Mark Leyland, head of coaching methodology at City Football Group, who worked with French at Liverpool from 2013 to 2021, fully recognizes French's significant contribution to this record.