Welcome..... http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/188039-in-profile-pepijn-lijnders-approach Pepijn Lijnders takes up the newly-created role of first team development coach at Liverpool after one season spent imparting his philosophy and particular approach to the game upon the club's U16s squad at the Academy. Lijnders' impact since his arrival in August 2014 has prompted Brendan Rodgers to bring the highly regarded coach into the senior set-up to work closely alongside the first team. The Dutchman will also continue to figure prominently in the development of elite young talent at Kirkby, as part of a restructured technical approach to coaching at the club. On his new first-team duties, the 32-year-old said: "My main goal is assisting Brendan to implement a development programme, a programme that will non-stop stimulate the offensive individual capacities of each first-team player, but also give young talent the chance to develop to first-team standards." Lijnders' promise was evident when he first took up a post at the club, with his CV already impressively stocked courtesy of five seasons at PSV Eindhoven in his homeland and a further seven at FC Porto in Portugal. He had forged a strong bond with the staff and young players at Porto but admitted that Liverpool was one of the few clubs in Europe that could have tempted him to undertake a new challenge. When the Reds did make a move to secure his services, though, the decision was ultimately 'a logical one' - with the dedicated coaches already in place in Kirkby, the passion of the supporters, and the city itself combining to present an undeniable opportunity. A studious thinker and analyst of the sport, Lijnders' deep love of football is obvious from the moment that he begins to discuss the game and the areas which he feels are fundamental to improvement and success. He explains: "I believe that winning is a logical result of development - development of the individual, development of co-operation and development of the team. I believe that self-confidence is a logical result of development. "Everybody wants to win, every team wants to win. But how do you prepare yourself to win? That is what counts. That is what makes the difference over a long period of time. "Consistency in performance is only possible when there is performance consistently. And performance only starts with careful planning, preparing the team and individual development." Much of Lijnders' work with the U16s focused on a bold attacking style, instilling a mindset that tasked his charges with 'intense, aggressive' pressing across the pitch and retrieval of possession at the earliest chance. Fulfil those objectives and 'you can make a top team or top players look bad', is the 32-year-old's belief. He is also a champion of incorporating the Scouse mentality to provide further edge in competition. As part of the next emerging generation of young coaches, Lijnders is acutely aware of the obstacles lying ahead in years to come as elite level defences become better organised and narrow the field of play further. He adds: "The first team wants players who are able to open up games and speed up the attack. We are working on a daily basis, individually and collectively, on those offensive, productive, creative and attractive qualities. "With guts, courage, faith and a great heart, we look for fast individual and collective actions to get behind the defensive line. "'You play the game 20 per cent with your head, 20 per cent with your feet and 60 per cent with your heart,' is a famous Dutch saying. It is how Einstein said it: 'Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.'" He will now aim to take on that challenge as part of Rodgers' new-look backroom team at Melwood, in addition to continuing his stellar work at the Academy.
Pep Lijnders has firmly established himself as a key member of Jurgen Klopp's backroom staff. Promoted to Melwood from the Academy by Brendan Rodgers a year ago, the highly-rated Dutch coach was retained by Klopp following his appointment last October. The 33-year-old, who had previously worked at PSV Eindhoven and Porto, has figured prominently in the training sessions on the club's pre-season tour of America. Lijnders became a father for the second time when his wife gave birth to their son Benjamin just two days before Liverpool flew out. The ECHO caught up with him at the Reds' Palo Alto base in California to discuss preparations for the new campaign and the emergence of exciting young talent like Ovie Ejaria. Pep, watching training on this trip, there seems to be a real intensity to the sessions. Are you satisfied as a coach with where the players are at with the new Premier League season a fortnight away? The players come back after a period where they were completely off or were in different styles of play because they went to the Euros or the Copa America. And then of course you have the young players. In this first period, if you talk about intensity, it improved because the players starts making decisions based on the collective references and intentions of our specific way of playing. The intensity goes up because the lines, the sectors, the inter-sectors and the players individually start working better together. That’s the main thing in this first period – that everyone starts making decisions individually because of the collective idea and references. Pleased? Yes, of course, because there’s a big development in that part. We are very clear in what we want: how we want to prepare pressing situations; how we want to move the ball gradually up; how we can advance as a team using the free spaces the opponent leaves in their organisation; our positional play. The intensity is high because they start playing better together. A lot of the drills are repetitive. Is that so it becomes second nature to them? There’s a saying that success is repeating a few disciplines, but really well and constantly. It’s repetition but we don’t want a linear or mechanical style of play. That’s why we focus on principles and the principles are basically tactical patterns which give the individual stability in an unpredictable game. You saw against Chelsea that it was permanently unstable and we want them to make it more stable because of the focus on those principles and tactical patterns. It would be easy to say ‘A, B, C’ but football doesn’t work like that, especially in our situation with Liverpool FC having so much talent. We want to give them the freedom of expression to be constantly unpredictable and constantly searching for limits, a constant gain of individuality in that collective identity and way of playing. Where it’s very clear as a collective how we want to approach each single game. The exercises have character because it’s a direct reference to our way of playing. The way of playing is basically like a lighthouse guiding us as coaches, prioritising and creating specific exercises towards creating that common goal and common idea between players. That gives the players stability. Liverpool struggled to create chances in the midweek defeat to Chelsea, who defended deep and were very difficult to break down..... If they are already this organised in three weeks, how organised will they be in three months?! I really believe if you want to improve you have to test your limits tactically, technically, emotionally, individually and as a collective. That game and the next ones are perfect to challenge us. Our positional game to open them up more could’ve been quicker in certain moments, we could’ve attracted them more to find space on the other side. The development has been really good in terms of how the team uses the free spaces to circulate the ball, how the team was patient enough to find the right spaces, and have the right times with their passes in playing and arriving for them. A real feature of this pre-season has been how the young players have stepped up and delivered. You worked at the Academy with the under-16s for a year after you joined the club in 2014. Have they surprised you? No, because I know them really well. We have so much talent in our Academy and so many players who need guidance. You see what happened in three or four weeks with Ben Woodburn, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ovie Ejaria – that’s gold in terms of development because that’s probably half a year of development in the Academy. Just because they see Phil Coutinho using the free spaces, they see Adam Lallana turning and protecting the ball. Trent sees how Emre Can drops into the defensive line to circulate the ball to get higher as a team. There’s a saying that young talents need models, they don’t need criticism. That’s what we want. We want to create by bringing them up. We brought the boy up from 16, that’s Ben. We brought the boy up from 17, that’s Trent. And we brought the boy up from 18, that’s Ovie. It’s interesting because indirectly we also want to influence all the other boys who stay behind because they see it’s possible. And we want to bring boys up who love adversity and overcome adversity constantly, who adapt really easily to a quicker style of play. Sometimes they have more time off than the others, sometimes they get a morning off because if you always played at 15km per hour and then you have to play at 20km per hour, you get tired earlier. We deal with that really well. They've made a good impression. So far, so good. Ejaria shone again against Chelsea at the Rose Bowl the other night. He looks so calm and composed – despite the step up in class. We say the pitch always stays the same and the ball always stays the same. The opposition can change and the stadium can change, but the stadium doesn’t influence directly if you focus. Then it only has to do with how a player orientates himself, how he sees what happens before the pressure is coming. Can he protect the ball in these situations? Can he still play his own style? Ovie does that really well. That is what we stimulate from a young age throughout our Academy – take initiative constantly. We want offensive aggression. We don’t want to have a ball percentage of 70, it’s about chances created and that’s how individuals get stimulated in the game context, to constantly take more initiative to move the ball forward in the final third or really create. Ovie is a good example. If you can outplay, you unbalance the defensive line. If you can play quick combinations it tears them apart. If you dominate both then you are really a top player and he dominates both parts. We stimulate from a young age in our Academy, protect the ball and be able to create a forward solution instead of passing it back. That has to do with how he positions himself and creates space for himself. Against Chelsea our positional game was good but it can be quicker. Is it provoking enough to get them really out of balance? Everybody thinks intensity is harder running. No, intensity is better co-operation between lines and better working together in prepared pressing situations. But that only works if it’s co-ordinated. Otherwise it’s just running and that’s the worst thing in football, if you run without a purpose. A number of youngsters have left the club this summer, including Jordon Ibe, Sergi Canos and Brad Smith. But Liverpool have negotiated buyback clauses which means they could return in the future..... We always want to do what is the best for everyone. We invest a lot in development and trying to create a common identity through the whole club. We really believe that creating a new generation can help us and if that means a young player has to go out to get experience and get his career going, but still with the option to come back inside our club, that shows that we believe in this process. Many people say it, but we really believe in development and are doing it. It was an amazing statement from Liverpool to give Jurgen a six-year contract, but what we’re doing now in this moment will influence this club long afterwards. Take Ben Woodburn, Trent or Ovie - this is part of the culture to bring in our young players to compete with our top talent. To be able to compete at that level, you need a quality set-up and organisation of really high standards. They’ve shown we have that because they can compete and they do compete. One day, they will win the competition and play. We truly believe in this. It takes time, like any development, but it will be worth it. I believe collectively this season, we can have a real advantage over our opponents, regardless of whatever player they buy or have. The training methodology - every minute of every exercise - must influence a higher standard, which is what we are building. Seven signings have been added to the squad this summer. What do you make of the new arrivals? I think our signings have been top. We made a list before and we got what we wanted. Our young players are top. Our selection is top. I’m really positive towards this season. With signings you want a direct influence on the areas you’re already good in and the ones you need strengthening in. We analysed our game model and looked at where we needed development. If you have a player who has certain abilities that were maybe missing, he will indirectly influence all the others as they see how he handles situations. Ragnar Klavan, for example, they see how he steps out with the ball and how easy and calm he is under pressure to still search for the chance to put Sadio Mane in a one-v-one situation. Don’t forget, the players we already had were top too. I really enjoy working with them. They have the right character, attitude and always are looking to reach the highest levels. You sound like you are loving being part of this new era for the club under Klopp? I can’t describe it to be honest. I think they’ve already put a mark on my personality. I’m enjoying it, I try to help, we are really a team. Jurgen’s creating a family atmosphere, which is really important to being a top team. You can’t just want to be the best team on the pitch, you have to do it off the pitch too. Everything always has to be of the highest standards.
Brillant read tbf, would love to watch a few of he's sessions to put into life all he speaks of be great viewing.
Jurgen Klopp on Pep Lijnders - 'I can't imagine life at Liverpool without him Jurgen Klopp has backed Pep Lijnders to go on and become a manager in the future – but says he cannot imagine life at Liverpoolwithout him at present. Lijnders has emerged as a key figure at Melwood. In his role as first-team development coach, the Dutchman provides a key bridge between the club's Academy and senior setup. His weekly 'Talent Group' at Melwood allows the club's young stars the chance to catch the eye of the first-ream staff, and he has played a big role in the emergence of the likes of Ben Woodburn, Ovie Ejaria and Trent Alexander-Arnold over the past 12 months. Lijnders, who joined the Reds in 2014 and was retained when Klopp arrived in October 2015, works alongside the German's assistants Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz, and Klopp says the dynamic between the four is ideal. “His main job is being a real coach,” he said. “I’m really happy. I never could’ve imagined that I needed another assistant, but now we have him and I cannot imagine how it would be without him. “He is doing a fantastic job and he brings all the things in that we are not that good in, if you want. “We are kind of old-school managers or coaches, because we’ve been around a long time and all these young boys are coming up and bringing new things and interests in. We use, on the other side, our experience – what is good, calmer in decision-making, all that stuff. “I love his mood, I love his attitude, I love already how smart he is, but still really open to learning. “So for us, it’s perfect, especially then with his fluent English, he’s a big help for Zeljko especially in the sessions. They have a fantastic relationship, actually. “I’m really happy that the club decided before I came in that he has to stay. I had no idea who he is, where he’s coming from, but it’s an interesting life already that he had, with being that long at Porto and all that stuff. “Fantastic guy and an even better manager in the future Lijnders revealed in March that he had turned down interest from “a number of clubs” to take over as manager. Go Ahead Eagles were among those keen. And Klopp, speaking to liverpoolfc.com , was asked whether he could succeed as a No.1 in his own right. “Yes, 100 per cent. No doubt, no doubt,” he said. “But what I really like is that he’s smart enough to think ‘OK, it’s not the time for it’, even when there are younger managers around the world. “It’s a long way to go and he can still get a lot of information from us and I like how he takes it. “I think in different parts he has good teachers with us, and we like doing it actually. He’s much younger than we are so at one moment we will stop and he’ll be ready to stand with his own feet, and I’m really looking forward to it already, watching the games when he’s on the sideline and can give all his power – and there’s a lot of power – to his team.” http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jurgen-klopp-pep-lijnders-i-13115696
Pepijn Lijnders has left his role with Liverpool FC to become the head coach of Dutch club NEC Nijmegen, with immediate effect. Lijnders joined the Reds in 2014 after spells with PSV Eindhoven in his home country and FC Porto in Portugal, initially taking charge of the U16s at the Academy. He was appointed to the newly-created position of first-team development coach in the summer of 2015 and became a key member of Jürgen Klopp’s backroom staff following his arrival as manager later that year. He now departs the club after permission was granted for the highly-respected coach to take the opportunity with the Dutch outfit, who sit second in the Netherlands’ second tier. “I could write for hours thanking the people at Liverpool who have helped me since I came here and the decision to leave has not been easy,” said Lijnders. “In general terms I would like to thank all the amazing players and staff at Melwood and the Academy at Kirkby, who I’ve been privileged to work with. Also, at Anfield – that is such a special place with special people and I never took for granted going to work at one of the greatest stadiums in the world every other week. “This club is so, so lucky to have someone of Jürgen’s calibre leading its football team – he is world-class, truly world-class and I hope to take many of the great lessons I learned from him, Zeljko Buvac, Peter Krawietz and John Achterberg into my own future leading a side. “Working with the first-team squad was magical. They confirmed every day that everything starts and ends with passion for the game. With the quality this club already has in the building, only time is against this project. “You don’t really say goodbye to Liverpool Football Club, because you will always have to represent its honesty and passion wherever you go. It’s a stamp on your back. “I’m proud of each day that I could represent them directly and I will give my best to do so in my next chapter. Hopefully they will be proud of me as well.” Klopp paid special tribute to Lijnders for the support he has provided to the coaching staff during the past two years, and for the influence the Dutchman had on guiding the club’s young players into the first-team set-up. “It’s such a strange mix of emotions talking about Pep leaving us,” said the Liverpool manager. “Firstly, I am gutted to be losing such a valuable member of our coaching team and such a brilliant person from our group. “But that is tempered by the fact I am very excited for him to have this opportunity and as much as we would have loved for him to remain with us, we cannot stand in his way for what is a fantastic opportunity. “It is hard to undersell the role Pep played in helping us settle, educating us about football life in England and then contributing ideas to the progress and development of this team. “He has such a big football brain, but it’s his willingness to learn and absorb information and always look to improve and be better as a coach that makes him stand out. “Of course, one of his biggest legacies at LFC will be the development and integration into the first-team squad of so many young and exciting players. The role he played in making us aware of these players and then helping us get the best out of them will have a lasting impact here, beyond him leaving. “On the personal side, his wonderful family have also become part of our lives and we will miss them so much. “There will be no greater supporter of NEC Nijmegen in Liverpool than me and I know this is the very start of a long journey for Pep – one where he will undoubtedly become a success.”
Klopp indicates that he is going to take his time appointing a replacement. The ready made one is on the market in Michael Beale but will Klopp go in this direction. I will be an interested observer to see how Pepijn Lijnders gets on in Holland.
Liverpool FC can confirm that Pepijn Lijnders has returned to take up a role in the club's first-team coaching setup. The Dutchman brought a three-and-a-half-season stay at Anfield to an end in January as he took up the managerial reins of NEC in his homeland. However, following his departure, Lijnders has agreed to rejoin Jürgen Klopp's backroom staff in a senior capacity. ******************** David Maddock @MaddockMirror 43m With the return of Pep Lijnders to Anfield, @LFC have made clear that Zeljko Buvac remains an employee of the club, and his position is unaffected by this coaching appointment. Jurgen Klopp still hoping Buvac will return following his absence for 'personal reasons'
Liverpool confirm departure of former assistant manager Zeljko Buvac Liverpool have confirmed Zeljko Buvac's permanent departure from the club while sources have told ESPN FC Pepijn Lijnders turned down opportunities to stay in management to become assistant manager at Anfield. Buvac, Jurgen Klopp's long-time assistant, had been absent on leave since April after Liverpool announced he would be spending "time away" from the club due to "personal reasons". But sources told ESPN FC on Saturday that Liverpool and Buvac had reached agreement to finally settle his contract with the club. The Bosnian-Serb's profile has now been removed from Liverpool's official website. A source said his departure from Liverpool was down to a breakdown in his 17-year working relationship with Klopp. Meanwhile, Lijnders returned to Liverpool in June after a five-month spell as head coach of NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Sources have said that an English League One side and two first-tier European clubs approached Lijnders about managerial positions, following his departure from NEC. The 35-year-old, however, was extremely keen on a return to Liverpool's coaching staff, having been promoted to first-team development coach by Brendan Rodgers in 2015. Lijnders, who started at Liverpool as Under-16s coach, told ESPN FC in April that Klopp was one of the most important influences on his coaching career and remained in close contact with German while at NEC. Lijnders has now been given the job title of assistant manager at Liverpool, along with Peter Krawietz, who worked with Klopp at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. http://www.espn.co.uk/soccer/liverp...ture-of-former-assistant-manager-zeljko-buvac
Only 35 too. I'd love to think Klopp and himself will be there for next 10 years like the spine of our side should have been tide down recently
Pretty sure Klopp said he plans to stay till the end of his contract in 2022 then leave and take some time off. Said he made a promise to his family. I'd expect him to keep that. So we'll probably only have him for another 3 seasons after this.
This is probably one of the best articles I have read in a long time, and it explains so much why were are playing a certain way at times. What a guy this fella is. Jurgen surprises me every day. His brain works differently to other people’ – Exclusive interview with Klopp’s No 2 Pep Lijnders https://theathletic.com/1513365/2020/01/08/liverpool-klopp-lijnders-interview/?source=shared-article
Superb read. Saw this yesterday & usually I hate having to sign up to things just to read an article but very glad I did. When I saw this online somewhere yesterday it did say it was Part 2. I can't seem to find Part 1 anywhere - does anyone have an idea? Part 1 may be a different topic anyhow but still worth a read I'm sure.
Best of luck to him . https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/pe...HucLwEb2Ysdv0CQXXcZ9GW_XLYb9NKcB5wvr1KG4yvz_Q