Championship boss hails 'exceptionally good' Leeds United example at particular set piece

O'Neill left his position as Northern Ireland manager in April after eight years in charge to concentrate solely on his role at Stoke after initially being appointed Potters manager in November 2019 as part of a dual role.

Under O'Neill's care, the Potters eventually finished eight points clear of the 2019-20 Championship dropzone as part of a 15th-placed finish with O'Neill hoping for more improvements next term.

The Potters won four of their last nine games after lockdown with Stoke also drawing two and responding well to a 5-0 hiding at eventual Championship winners Leeds earlier this month.

O'Neill was full of praise for Marcelo Bielsa's side after the thrashing and is keen to look into the game's intricate details and "small gains" - with the Potters boss saying United have been particularly efficient with their throw-ins.

O'Neill told The Sentinel: “Set pieces are such an important part of the game.

"I’ve watched so much football in my time as an international manager and it was a huge part of how we were able to get results or get ahead in games with Northern Ireland.

"I was focused on that.

“We worked quite hard on throw ins. We’re not quite where we want to be.

“When you look at the really good teams in the Premier League, they’re very good in these areas.

"Leeds are very good in these areas, particularly throw-ins – Leeds are exceptionally good.

“It’s just reinforcing that message to the players.

"Players sometimes don’t recognise the importance of these parts of the game but it’s where you get all the small gains in these areas that can be the difference between winning and losing."

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Thank you Laura Collins