Liverpool assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders recently spoke to the club’s official site about working with Jürgen Klopp and what it’s like to be a part of The Reds’ backroom staff.
Lijnders described the club as being “blessed” to have such a talented and informed group with “ambition and passion” working behind the scenes for Klopp.
Klopp and his staff have taken Liverpool to two consecutive Champions League finals, lifting the club’s sixth European Cup last June in Madrid. Then, this season, they followed that up with a record-breaking performance in the Premier League, leaving The Reds just six points short of a 19th league title success – a task that will hopefully be completed when the current Coronavirus pandemic has been dealt with.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Lijnders went into some detail about the different responsibilities of Klopp and the coaches.
“We try to support Jürgen in the best way possible.
“I’m responsible for the training process, Peter [Krawietz] is really responsible for the analysis of the opposition and analysis of our team. All the ideas Jürgen has and the way he wants to set up and be competitive in each game, we just try to support him in the best way possible.
“Everybody knows you are a product of your own environment – the better people you have around you, the easier things become. I am blessed, of course, that Jürgen has this trust and gives me the freedom.
“We are blessed [with] our group – and you speak about Peter, me and the gaffer but there are so many people. The departments, how they evolved over the last four or five years, they all search for perfection knowing that perfection doesn’t exist. See how our pitches are prepared each day by our ground staff… these things make us consistent.
“Each department is searching for and has the ambition and passion. I believe that only comes first from your leader and second, that it’s trust and everybody wants to give one per cent more, so the team is better prepared for the next game.
“I think we made big, big steps in this. A big compliment for each department.”
Lijnders also had some extra words of praise for Klopp, complimenting the former Borussia Dortmund boss’s ability to still surprise staff with his intelligence each day.
“He is very intelligent. His brain works differently to many others, that’s for sure. Each day he surprises me – and we worked how long together? Four-and-a-half or five years. He changes perception in five minutes.”
Like all of us, Klopp, Lijnders and the Liverpool squad face an uncertain few months at least. No one knows exactly how long this Coronavirus pandemic will be around or whatever extra measures may need to be taken to beat this thing.
For now, however, stay safe and look after one another.
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