'I've seen Liverpool and Chelsea suffer - this is my solution to tactical problem'

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Joleon Lescott has a solution to deal with long throws. The tactical weapon is back in fashion in the Premier League and is causing issues for top sides.

Over a decade since the likes of Rory Delap struck fear into Stoke City's opponents with the long throw , it is back and being utilised by a host of top-flight teams. Brentford are firm believers in the long throw-in and used it to full effect in their 3-2 victory against Liverpool last weekend.

Sunderland also troubled Chelsea with their long throws as they pulled off a shock 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge . Some teams struggle to deal with these balls into the box but ex-Manchester City centre-back Lescott may have a solution.

He recalled a tactical tidbit from his time at Everton under David Moyes , when Stoke's Delap would be so effective throwing the ball into the box from the touchline.

Speaking on In The Mixer , brought to you by Sky Bet, Lescott said: "David Moyes had a great solution for dealing with long throw-ins to be fair.

"When Delap was playing in the league and I was at Everton we didn't mark traditionally. You see Liverpool marking from them on the weekend and everyone's doing it traditionally.

"We were put on the goal-line and would run out. Rather than anyone getting a touch and it still being in the mixer, if you're running out your clearance will probably head out the box. Hopefully someone adopts that."

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Lescott also stated that no other teams would try to emulate Stoke and Delap's throw-ins, simply because they couldn't get the right trajectory or distance.

He added: "No one could [emulate Delap]. No one could. It just wasn't a thing. Most people can reach the box but it's all to do with the trajectory of the ball.

"It's the trjactreory. It can't be loopy, it has to be like a cross. He used to drill it in like back stick. He'd be ranging it up and you couldn't just load the front half of the goal.

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"Because most long throw-ins, it would be going in front of the goal, but he was going, 'No, we're going into the middle of the five-yard box.' It was mad."

Liverpool manager Slot even admitted after his side's defeat to Brentford that they trained specifically to deal with long throws, but simply could not nullify them.

"I think they took the game with long throw-ins, set-pieces and other moments where they were just really good," said Slot. "It's the only thing we did yesterday on the training pitch, preparing for that [long throws]."

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