Look at Newcastle United’s goal-scorers this season and you’ll realize they are mostly defenders. Half of the goals that the team has scored has been by defenders.

Newcastle are 14th, seven points above relegation mainly because of the heroics of Martin Dubravka in goal and the defensive line. The likes of Fabian Schaer, Ciaran Clark, Paul Dummett, Federico Fernandez and Jamal Lascelles have all put in a shift defensively this season.

So where do all these goals come from ? Set-pieces would be anyone’s guess. Just put it in the mixer and the tall lads will head it. That’s the normal guess when you think about goal-scoring center-backs.

For Newcastle it’s in the mixer, but is it just “putting it in the mixer” ?

Steve Bruce and his team of Steves would disagree. The Steve squad — Steve Agnew, Stephen Clemence and Steve Harper — on Newcastle’s bench all have the distinct feature of having the same first name.

Newcastle United have multiple set-piece approaches, the one which we’ll tackle here is how they use the 2nd phase of the corner-kick. The approach is split into two scenarios; 2nd phase as a result of regaining the ball and a manufactured 2nd phase by playing a short corner.

First things first, the 2nd phase created by retrieving the ball from a corner kick. Once Newcastle United cross the corner kick, they always have a player on the edge of the box to collect. A corner from the right hand side is played by Jonjo Shelvey. It’s then cleared by Sheffield United and Jetro Willems is in position to collect. Notice how the Newcastle players are spread out inside the box

As the player on the edge of the box (Willems) is collecting the ball, the Newcastle players inside the box group together to overload the far post.

Willems has many targets at the far post and plays the correct cross. Unfortunately for him, Dean Henderson is alert and goes up to collect the ball.

Another Shelvey corner from the right, this time against Southampton with the score at 1–1. Willems is waiting to collect the ball after Alex McCarthy punches the corner away. Meanwhile, the important part is Allan Saint-Maximin’s movement. The Frenchman is back-paddling towards the edge of the box to be in prime position to swing in a far post cross. All this even before the ball reaches Willems

As the ball reaches Saint-Maximin the Newcastle flock inside the box are positioning themselves to overload the far post.

Saint-Maximin fails to put in a cross as he’s pressed by Nathan Redmond and Shane Long. He opts for a pass to Sean Longstaff. While the midfielder is charging up to shoot it’s noticeable how Newcastle still have an overload at the far post. One of those players causing the overload is Fernandez who’s back-paddling to beat the offside.

Fernandez is the only player with his back to the camera

Longstaff’s shot proves to be too powerful for McCarthy and he slips it. First to the ball are two of the four players making the overload at the far post. Schaer and Fernandez whose decision to adjust his position to beat the offside earned him a goal and the three points. Fernandez slammed the rebound into the back of the net

Into stoppage time against Chelsea and the game looks like it’s going to end 0–0. Newcastle get a corner and guess what happens. Matt Richie’s corner is cleared by Willian and waiting to collect on the edge of the box is Saint-Maximin. As usual the Newcastle player are spread inside the box

It’s like that level in the video game at the arcade. You know how the boss moves but you get caught by surprise every time. The spread out shape inside the box turns into an overload at the far post — the other part of the Newcastle players are out of the snippet — as Saint-Maximin is preparing to cross.

It’s nearly a 4 v 2 not helped by the poor positioning of the Chelsea players.

Isaac Hayden then manages to head the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga at the buzzer to earn Newcastle two additional points.

The second scenario is the short corner kick. This one involves a crosser in the channel as well as a runner from midfield. In addition of course to overloading the far post. Shelvey plays a short corner to Saint-Maximin while Willems, the crosser, is positioned deep in the left channel to receive the ball. The runner here is Miguel Almiron who’s positioned near the D.

Once Saint-Maximin passes the ball back to Willems, Almiron sprints into the box while Fernandez and Clark run back to avoid being offside. Almiron isn’t the greatest header of the ball, his run is merely a deviation to pin Aaron Cresswell. Pinning Cresswell allows Fernandez and Clark who are overloading the far post to be onside even if the rest of the West Ham players are going up.

Bottom right of the screen: Almiron making the run, Cresswell positioned on the edge of the penalty area and Fernandez-Clark are dropping back to avoid being offside

Willems is ready to cross and the overload is in perfect position. Towards the far post you can spot the 3 v 1 situation with Clark and Fernandez who are pretty good in the air in good positions to attack the cross. All of them are played onside by two West Ham players, Declan Rice and Cresswell. Rice was late out of the box but Cresswell playing the Newcastle players onside was all planned by the Steve squad.

Bottom right of the screen: Overload from Newcastle towards the far post with a 3 v 1 scenario

Roberto’s weird decision to go out made it easier for Fernandez to head the ball past him. However, it was easy even if he didn’t. The second scenario of the 2nd phase of corner provided Fernandez with a free header inside the box.

Eat. Sleep. Short corner. Repeat. Same situation again unfolds against Bournemouth with the score tied at 1–1. Willems out of the picture ready to receive in the left channel to cross. Almiron near the D waiting to make his decoy run and the Fernandez-Clark duo inside the box to make the overload towards the far post.

Check Almiron in the bottom of the snippet here. Accelerating like a Tesla Model 3 into the box and towards the far post, dragging Ryan Fraser with him to ensure that the Newcastle players are onside.

Credit to the Bournemouth players who recognized the far post threat and kept man-marking Fernandez and Clark. Meanwhile, Almiron’s run put Fraser in the position Newcastle want him to be in. Deep to keep the Newcastle players onside

Bottom right of the screen: Joshua King and Steve Cook are man marking Fernandez and Clark respectively

Fernandez manages to break the shackles and is first to Willems’ deflected cross. He knocks it down for Clark who’s onside because of Fraser’s positioning. It was all planned, the short corner, back pass, the decoy run. Other circumstances didn’t make it as free-flowing as the West Ham goal but eventually Clark was through on goal because of Almiron dragging Fraser deep to make sure the players overloading the far post are onside.

A top view further illustrates the scenario.

Clark fumbled the shot but luckily it went past Aaron Ramsdale to earn Newcastle the three points.

Set-pieces are an important tool in the modern game. It takes hours and hours to implement them, but if they work they give you an advantage. A much needed one in a low scoring sport. It’s not a coincidence that the top teams on the surface of the planet are giving them huge attention.

No wonder Steve Bruce loves a 2nd phase header.