“Football is very up and down, right? One minute you are winning the Premier League and the next you are looking for a new role somewhere,” says Aaron Briggs. The 39-year-old coach is reflecting on a brutal reality after Liverpool parted company with him shortly before the turn of the year, following a period where he became the focal point of the team's struggles with set pieces.

The Rise and the Title

Briggs joined Liverpool in June 2024 after a call from manager Arne Slot, initially arriving as an individual development coach. However, by the time the team hit the U.S. for their pre-season tour, he had agreed to take on the responsibilities of set-piece coach as well.

The first year was a resounding success. Liverpool dominated the league to win the Premier League title, and their defensive record on set pieces was stellar, conceding no goals from such situations until the second half of the season. The peak of this journey came when Slot urged Briggs onto the pitch during the 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur to celebrate the title win.

The Descent into 'Ridiculous' Numbers

The narrative shifted dramatically in the second season. Liverpool's set-piece record plummeted, conceding 12 goals in the Premier League while scoring only three. The struggle did not go unnoticed by the management; in November, Arne Slot described the record as “close to ridiculous,” and later expressed deep annoyance after a late equalizer against Leeds United.

Briggs admits the role was uniquely exposed. “I had experience of being in the spotlight at Wolfsburg and Monaco as an assistant coach but the thing with set pieces is that it’s very, very measurable. It’s black and white,” Briggs explained.

Despite working closely with key players like Virgil van Dijk and utilizing the club's analyst team, the solutions remained elusive. Briggs noted that most conceded goals stemmed from second and third balls rather than the initial delivery. Curiously, the team's Champions League form remained strong, ranking seventh-best in the competition with zero goals conceded from set pieces—a discrepancy that Briggs admits was "annoying."

A Career Shaped by Elite Mentors

Before his stint at Anfield, Briggs built a comprehensive resume at some of Europe's most successful clubs. He spent seven years at Manchester City, eventually working as a match analyst under Pep Guardiola and alongside Mikel Arteta. Briggs describes his time with Guardiola as an eye-opening experience, noting the manager's obsessive work ethic in playing out scenarios before half-time.

His journey also included roles at Monaco, where he became head of methodology, and Wolfsburg, where he served as assistant manager to Niko Kovac. During his time at Wolfsburg, he helped develop Micky van de Ven from a left-back into a center-back.

Life After Liverpool

Following his exit from Liverpool, Briggs returned to UEFA’s game insights department. In a whirlwind 12-day period, he attended four UEFA finals and worked with managers such as Ange Postecoglou, Erik ten Hag, and Sean Dyche to create educational materials for coaches.

Now seeking a new opportunity as an individual or assistant coach, Briggs remains determined not to be defined by his final months at Liverpool. “I was very fortunate to be part of a team that won the Premier League... I wish from the bottom of my heart it had gone better in that second year but everyone was trying so I didn’t feel alone,” he concluded.