Welcome everybody to Soccer one oh one.

My name is Taylor Rockwell and on today's episode we're tossing ourselves into the wild and wonderful world of the throw-in.

Why do they exist?

Who does them well?

How useful can they actually be?

To answer all that and more, I'm joined by Liverpool's new throw-in consultant.

It's Graham Ruffin.

Hello, Graham.

Hello, Taylor Rockwell.

Don't tell the proper football men about my new job because they seem to get very angry at the concept of a throwing coach.

All right. Let's talk about that for a second, because we are going to talk about the history of the throwin, why throwans exist, people who famously were quite good at taking them.

But I was reading a bunch of articles about, well, I read two articles, about Thomas Granomark, the Liverpool

throwing consultant. He is no longer with the club, but he is, I think, liaise with many,

many different clubs around Europe. And it does feel like the reaction to him is one of just

consternation or scorn. And it's so telling to me right there to your point about the proper football

men that like rather than be inquisitive and interested in why a coach like yurkin klop would

want to explore the nuances of throw-ins it's just immediate like oh can i be the kickoff consultant

i don't understand why there's such a reason as well there should be a kickoff consultant

given how often people are just like, you know what?

Kick it long and we'll see what happens.

I feel like maybe a little bit of variety wouldn't be the worst thing.

Yeah, I remember when that story broke in, I think it was Paul Merson.

...