On Thursday, July 23, Aston Villa’s set-piece coach Austin MacPhee informed senior figures at the club that he wished to leave to seek a new challenge.Earlier in the week, multiple sources had told The Athletic MacPhee would be moving on. Where to, however, was more opaque.Nobody could work out what the latest situation was.Unlike the departures of other employees over the summer, including members of Unai Emery’s backroom team and the club’s medical team, MacPhee’s exit was unanticipated. It leaves Villa without a set-piece lead, although they will look to secure a replacement for him swiftly.In the days and hours before the story was published on Friday evening, several members of staff expressed surprise when The Athletic raised the matter with them. Most only found out the news just before the article went live.MacPhee had received interest from two other Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, as well as Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, the team where Cristiano Ronaldo plies his trade. MacPhee had worked with the Portuguese superstar as one of Roberto Martinez’s assistants during the recent World Cup, a role he is now expected to also leave.Villa had made attempts to convince the long-serving coach to stay, but the 46-year-old rejected them, insisting it was not about money but, after five years in the Midlands, a desire to explore a different opportunity.The Athletic revealed Chelsea had met the clause in MacPhee’s contract, enabling them to start negotiations to bring him to Stamford Bridge. Two sources familiar with the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say the figure is much less than £1million ($1.3m). Presently, nothing is decided, yet there is an expectation he will end up at the west London club.Austin MacPhee during his stint with Portugal at the World Cup (Michael Steele/Getty Images)As reflected in the £117million agreement for Morgan Rogers and Alejandro Garnacho heading in the opposite direction on an initial loan both happening in recent days, Chelsea and Villa have a strong relationship. Inescapably, though, MacPhee’s departure has disappointed the latter.He arrived in August 2021, and has also had two spells as an assistant coach on the international stage, with Scotland under Steve Clarke for three years until 2024 and then with Portugal, where he was appointed last February. Villa established themselves as one of the most creative clubs in Europe last season at dead-ball situations, scoring the joint-most number of goals from set pieces (29 — alongside Arsenal).Perhaps MacPhee’s loss is going to be felt more acutely at Villa given other members of their backroom staff have been cherry-picked over the summer.Head of medical services Arnaldo Abrantes was recruited by Arsenal, joining two former Villa physiotherapists who had already made the move to the north Londoners. These include Carmen Marquez, former first-team physio, who left for the Emirates Stadium in January.Abrantes had been sought-after previously. In the build-up to Villa’s season-defining fixture at Old Trafford on the final day of the 2024-25 campaign, Manchester United, led by their head coach at the time Ruben Amorim, had made overtures. On that occasion, the 39-year-old stayed. This summer, he didn’t, and Villa acted quickly to secure his replacement.How Chelsea won the race for Morgan RogersDavid OrnsteinFrom a coaching standpoint, Emery’s staff had already seen two people leave, along with Jaime Arias Galan, a technical assistant, who wished to explore a new opportunity overseas. One was the experienced Pako Ayestaran, who served as Emery’s assistant. Chema Sanz has been appointed his successor.In addition, Rodri, Villa’s individual development coach, had decided he was joining Cesc Fabregas at Serie A side Como before the end of last season.Rodri is regarded as a major loss to the overall coaching dynamic at Villa. Several players, including Matty Cash and Ollie Watkins, have praised the Spaniard for his scrupulous attention to detail. He worked with players after training, sharpening technical aspects of their game or replicating movements or patterns he was expecting to unfold in the next match.He would also carry out individual analysis for players, looking at the strengths and weaknesses of their upcoming direct opponent. For example, with Cash, a right-back, they would analyse the next opponents’ left-winger, observing particular habits in one-v-one scenarios and how best to defend them.Albert Carbo returned to Villa last season after a year away managing at one of their sister clubs, Real Union in Spain, and combined closely with Rodri in helping players’ individual requirements.Unai Emery worked closely with Austin MacPhee at Aston Villa (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)MacPhee is similarly admired, even if it is felt that he benefited from working under Emery, who empowered him to make considerable and impressive steps in his own coaching.Those who have been colleagues with the Scot praised his analysis of opponents and how he designs set plays to expose their weaknesses and magnify the strengths of his own team. Last season, Villa were highly successful in shooting from long-range, with MacPhee constructing set-piece routines that ensured their best ball-strikers were in prime positions around the box to shoot. Under MacPhee’s guidance over the past three seasons, Villa scored 74 goals from dead-ball situations, with the variety of their moves standing out.Regularly, players would celebrate with MacPhee when one of his plays succeeded. One such instance came in the Europa League final, with Youri Tielemans’ volley emphatically rounding off a well-worked dead-ball routine.How does a World Cup affect the transfer market?Christopher HamillThere have been changes elsewhere at Villa, too.Chief operating officer Ben Hatton was sacked last week after being hired by then president of business operations Chris Heck in September 2023. Even though not directly football-related, there has been a turnover of personnel on and off the pitch.Evolution in football is undeniable, even if it can be brutal.A consequence of success is longevity, but elite managers know that to continue trending upward, fresh impetus is required. That is why Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and before him Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson frequently refreshed their backroom staffs. This, in some respect, is what has happened with Emery at Villa.But such a dramatic raft of departures, with the sense some personnel have been tempted away by direct rivals for honours and European qualification, is not ideal. Factor in key player sales and a considerable amount of change has been instigated in one summer.Villa were due a period of transition, but it remains to be seen if this one has been destabilising.