Pep Lijnders has revealed what he mentioned to 2 key figures at Liverpool previous to Arne Slot’s current appointment as head coach.
The 41-year-old is leaving Anfield to take cost of Purple Bull Salzburg, having spent a number of years as Jurgen Klopp’s trusted assistant for the Reds, and he has nothing however reward for the German’s successor within the residence dugout in L4.
In an interview with The Athletic, Lijnders states that he spoke along with his boss, in addition to FSG president Mike Gordon, about the kind of coach that LFC wanted to nominate when their long-serving supervisor introduced in January that he’d be departing on the finish of the 2023/24 season.
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The Dutchman mentioned of Slot: “You want a coach like Arne who’s near what we tried to do over time, by way of having the ball within the opposition half, urgent, counter-pressing — he’s very strategical in that viewpoint. He’s made good steps and now it’s the possibility for him to make one other huge step.”
He continued: “Once I spoke with Mike and Jurgen, I mentioned you want a younger coach who can develop with this new workforce. Arne has all the things in him to be a hit right here.”
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FSG’s CEO of Soccer Michael Edwards and new sporting director Richard Hughes had been closely concerned in appointing Slot, and one factor we all know in regards to the former from his earlier spell at Liverpool is that he firmly backs his judgement in relation to recruitment selections.
He’s renowed for his dedication to creating data-driven selections, though the enter of a trusted determine from throughout the membership similar to Lijnders could have additionally performed an element within the former Feyenoord boss getting the top coach job.
As highlighted by The Athletic, the 45-year-old bears loads of similarities to Klopp by way of his tactical strategy and off-field manner, whereas additionally being barely youthful than the German was when he took cost of the Reds in 2015.
Though the departing supervisor leaves an extremely arduous act for Slot to comply with, the latter has the advantage of a really sturdy beginning place, far more so than what his predecessor inherited simply over eight-and-a-half years in the past.
Lijnders could not be at Liverpool, however perhaps his recommendation to Gordon and Klopp filtered by to the membership’s powerbrokers earlier than they appointed his Dutch compatriot to the top coach place. Let’s hope he lives as much as the 41-year-old’s glowing endorsement.
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