Newport County interim boss Dafydd Williams has sensationally torn into his own players following the 2-0 defeat at the weekend to mid-table side Fleetwood Town. County currently sit 21st in League Two and ahead of their final game against fellow strugglers Tranmere Rovers, he has labelled his players an “absolute disgrace” when it comes to defending set-pieces.
His side could still finish anywhere from 18th to 22nd in the table, but the Exiles have conceded 72 goals this season, more than any other side in the division. 29 of those to hit the back of the net have come from set pieces, almost 40%.
This would ultimately cost former boss Nelson Jardim his job, following a 0-0 draw with playoff side Walsall on the 21st of April, which confirmed their status as a fourth tier side for next season. Jardim took over as the manager of the club after Graham Coughlan’s departure in June 2024 and the Portuguese signed an astonishing 17 new players as he looked to take the Exiles in another direction.
Williams has not held back on what he thinks:
“Ultimately we’ve conceded another two set-pieces, it’s been our Achilles heel all season,” Williams told BBC Radio Wales in the aftermath of his side’s 2-0 loss to Fleetwood Town.
“The number of goals we’ve conceded from set-plays has been an absolute disgrace, despite, even when Nelson [Jardim] was here, different members of staff and input from the players to try and solve those problems.”
“Three members of staff have taken care of set-plays all season and they haven’t been able to solve the problem. I’ve taken it upon myself in the last five or six games and we had another member of staff today helping out.”
“The free-kick is a good free-kick to be fair. The corner, they (Fleetwood) literally did it against Harrogate the other week.
“To be fair to the staff, they showed them (Newport players) that clip in preparation for the game and they’ve scored from it.”
“The players need to take accountability, 100%, but equally we can all look at ourselves.
“We have to reflect on our roles and responsibilities as well, staff and players, because to concede that many set-plays is not good enough.”
With the same free-kick being conceded as the Harrogate game, despite the players being shown this, it’s understandable that Williams is annoyed.
Despite this damning stat, County have still managed to keep 13 clean sheets in 45 games so there is a base for Williams’ side to build on next season, whoever may get the job permanently. Whoever that may be will be hopeful of consolidating even further next season. Watch this space.
