Liverpool already know who will replace Juergen Klopp. “I want only you”

This is an updated version of the text we released on February 18, 2020, which is available

he will only coach Liverpool until summer 2024. Then, as he already suggested, he might be able to retire as a coach. If the club does not reach for another great and recognizable coaching name, it is only because it is there.

They get their own way

Although two and a half years is still a lot of time, the media and fans are eagerly wondering who could become Klopp’s successor? Thoughts are eagerly headed for the club legend, and at the same time a coach, who, despite his young age, has already achieved considerable success with Rangers. Whether Steven Gerrard will take the baton after the German will depend on whether the English will remain on the coaching top at Aston Villa, where he recently started work. All candidates who will fit on the coaching bench of “The Reds” will, however, be compared with the hero of the second plan and a person who has been invaluable to Klopp in recent years.

“Anyone who does not see Pep Lijnders as a potential Klopp successor does not understand the respect that the American club owners have for him,” writes “The Athletic” in a December article. He points out that the club likes to play on its own, which we witnessed a few months ago. When looking for a new sporting director, club officials considered many candidates, eventually appointing Julian Ward, a man who has been working at Anfield for over 8 years. Ward has been so far, but has been doing well enough that he’ll get a shot when Edward says goodbye to the club at the end of the season.

It is hard to imagine Lijnders not being given a chance. He is a man who has been associated with “The Reds” for almost 8 years. He quickly made a name for himself as one of the most important second-planers in the entire Premier League, but his role often takes center stage. He gets these praises before the age of 40, but he already has a lot of experience, because he has been a coach for half of his life.

“I want only you”

Pepijn Lijnders’ football career was stopped by an injury. He stopped kicking the ball as a 17-year-old because of a torn cruciate ligament. So he quickly took up the trainer. He had a brilliant career. At 19, he started working at the PSV Eindhoven academy, helping with activities with young footballers. After four years, he transferred to FC Porto nursery. There he had the opportunity to work with Victor Baia and Andre Villas-Boas. After eight years, he landed at Liverpool, to which he was already moving as one of the most promising young coaches. It is worth noting that this was the time when Manchester United wanted him too. At Anfield, he had the opportunity first. Soon after Juergen Klopp – four years in all. After a short (six months) adventure with running the Dutch NEC, he returned to Liverpool.

He has been working there continuously since June 2018. It was thanks to him that the departure from the club Zeljko Buvac, whom Klopp called his “brain” or “right hand”, was not so noticeable. In the case of Bosnian, we are talking about a man who has been with the German coach for 17 years. He traveled with Klopp from Mainz to Dortmund to Liverpool. At the end of April 2018, however, he announced that he would be leaving the end of the season for personal reasons. The media in the UK reported that there could be a conflict with Klopp. Anyway, Buvac did not come back for training with “The Reds”, and Klopp called Lijnders, who, due to the lack of promotion to the Eredivisie, was not wanted anymore in the NEC.

– I wasn’t making any wish list. I want only you. Together, we will be responsible for the entire training process – said the German to the Dutchman and the gentlemen quickly got along.

Creator of the Liverpool style

As man number two at Liverpool, Lijnders made the most of his opportunity. He quickly introduced himself to everyone on the best side. He had lively discussions with journalists at press conferences prior to the English League Cup matches. You could quickly see how much he lives with football. What does he pay attention to. It also so happened that his one-year work after his return to Anfield was crowned with Liverpool’s triumph in the Champions League. The Dutchman also received praise.

– I have amazing people around me. I am really good at listening to intelligent people – said Klopp. What exactly Lijnders does? – I am responsible for the planning and organization of the weekly training program, also for the training itself and preparation for the competition – explained the Dutchman in an interview with the daily “De Volkskrant”. He added that he and Klopp trust each other a lot, make hundreds of decisions together, moreover, the Dutchman calls the coach of “The Reds” his friend. If anyone has doubts who is the creator or co-creator of the current Liverpool style, Lijnders admits that he has constant contact with the players and a common goal on a daily basis.

– I still try to change in training. All we do is press and counterattack to get the ball as high and as fast as possible. Each minute of our training deals with these two issues, he admits in an interview with the Polish newspaper. The pressing Liverpool put on a rival is called by the staff “hunting in groups”. A hunting that differs from the pressing used by other teams because it is more effective. Players have in their heads that they are running to their rival not to scare him or make it difficult to play the game, but to take the ball from him.

Because if not Lijnders, who?

Liverpool training watchers point out that Klopp usually sits in the second row during them. He prefers to look at the results of the football players’ research, browse the cards showing their condition, he has confidence in what Lijnders is doing on the pitch. Journalists have long ago decided that if Klopp’s mission in Liverpool ends one day, it would be silly if the Reds activists did not give him a chance.

– Such statements make me proud, but they are not realistic, because it is not the case for now. My only ambition now is to support Juergen and our project in the best possible way – said the Dutchman when he was asked about this possibility last year. Anyway, soon after these words, Liverpool won their first Premier League title, and their 19th Premier League title in history. The amazing results of the team are backed up by an excellent atmosphere, it was a merit of many people.

Like Klopp, Lijnders relies on close contact with players, and he knows some of them from their youth work at Anfield. For example, Trent Alexander-Arnold captained his U17 team.

Bond with the players

– Our bond was very strong. What he does makes me proud, both as a footballer and as a person. He still wants to be better – emphasizes Klopp’s satisfied assistant, who adds that the club has entered a different level, because everyone puts the good of the team into their goals, and substitutes do not shake their noses, but know that they are an important link in the team, even when they are sitting on the bench . In addition, his players realized in practice that a defensive game involves the involvement of eleven people on the pitch, just like an attack. Lijnders admits that the player class helps to build the perfect Liverpool, but believes that the other part of success comes from managing them wisely, supporting them and being honest. Also – which may be valuable also for him in two and a half years – betting on his people.

– We want to make more use of our current players, properly manage our young talents – he described in “De Volkskrant”. The young people know that their time is soon to come. A time that is brilliant again for The Reds. The team of Klop and Lijnders counts in the fight for the national championship. The loss to Manchester City is minimal. It is also her great season with. Now she will play with Inter in the spring.