Why appointing Klopp's former attack dog Pep Lijnders could be Man City's best piece of business despite spending £300m
The arrival of Jurgen Klopp's former attack dog Pep Lijnders as Pep Guardiola's Manchester City No. 2 is a crossing of the divide between English football's two great dynasties of the past decade.
Advertisement
9
Pepijn Lijnders has joined Manchester City
Credit: Getty
9
He was Jurgen Klopp's assistant at Liverpool
Credit: PA
9
Lijnders will now be working closely with Pep Guardiola
Credit: Getty
While at Liverpool, the gobby Dutchman was loathed by many rival coaches and match officials due to his penchant for chucking verbal Molotovs from the touchline.
Frank Lampard once called out Lijnders' 'arrogance' after a foul-mouthed exchange when Chelsea visited Anfield for a behind-closed-doors league match.
In 2022, Lijnders published a controversial book titled 'Intensity' — which some claimed gave away too many of Liverpool's secrets.
So this is no shrinking violet. Certainly not a nodding-dog yes-man in the mould of Phil Neal during Graham Taylor's England reign.
Advertisement
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
BACK FOR SECONDS Man Utd make second bid for Mbeumo... and he could team up with Nkunku
But Lijnders, a 42-year-old career coach who never played professionally, is regarded as a great energiser by players.
And he could be exactly what Guardiola needs after last season's meltdown, when City's four-in-a-row champions failed to win a trophy for the first time in eight years.
Lijnders has arrived at the Etihad, via a second failed move into management with Red Bull Salzburg, along with another former Klopp acolyte, James French — City's new set-piece coach.
Compared with Guardiola's old coaching mentor Juanma Lillo — who departed at the end of the season, along with fellow coaches Inigo Dominguez and Carlos Vicens — Lijnders is a far more hands-on, in-your-face character.
Advertisement
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
City have already shelled out almost £300million on new players this year but Lijnders might prove to be more significant than any of them.
To the public, assistant managers — like good old-fashioned children — are usually seen and not heard.
Pep Guardiola joined by daughter Valentina on Man City bench at Club World Cup clash
But on a day-to-day basis, they are usually far more visible than the actual boss man, acting as a vital link between a manager and his squad, crucial to the overall dressing-room dynamic.
Advertisement
Before leaving Anfield last year, Klopp claimed Lijnders had been 'the most important person' at Liverpool during his latter years and said:
'I don't think I have ever met anybody with such enthusiasm and energy for this game.'
Were these just empty brags to help his mate get a job or a genuine reference, which suggests he could aid a City resurgence next season?
What makes a great No. 2? Usually, they bring a contrast to the boss in terms of strengths and temperament.
Advertisement
The finest managerial duo English football has ever known were Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, two-time European Cup winners who led both Derby and Nottingham Forest to top-flight titles.
Clough was the charismatic frontman, Taylor regarded as the finest talent-spotter in the business and a tactical genius.
9
Lijnders is already hard at work at Man City
Credit: Getty
9
He has been in the dugout next to Guardiola
Credit: Getty
Advertisement
Taylor's role in Forest's glories were fully recognised — he has a stand named after him at the City Ground — and Clough was never as successful after the pair fell out.
Similarly, Bob Paisley was the quiet man to his bombastic boss Bill Shankly and highly unusual as a no. 2, who stepped into the top job and was a roaring success, winning Liverpool's first three European Cups.
In the modern day, the dynamics can be very different — sporting directors usually oversee recruitment and there are a phalanx of first-team coaches but the right-hand man remains a crucial cog.
Newcastle's Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall are a classic combination — the quiet manager and the manic assistant — while Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland were a tight 'good cop, bad cop' duo over eight successful years with England.
Advertisement
Guardiola, though, is more like the only manager of the Premier League era who can boast more success than him — Sir Alex Ferguson, who went through a host of assistants during his 27-year reign at Manchester United.
The arrival of Lijnders is so intriguing because he brings an element of Klopp's 'heavy-metal football' to the more symphonic Guardiola.
Lijnders returned to Liverpool's backroom staff after an unsuccessful spell in charge of Dutch club NEC Nijmegen in 2018, just as Klopp's glory years began and the pair won every major trophy together.
So for Guardiola to hire the other Pep is further acknowledgement of his respect for Klopp.
Advertisement
City lacked energy and purpose during their extraordinary mid-season cliff-dive and Guardiola has reacted with sweeping changes.
The arrival of Lijnders is a direct response to that dropping of standards — City will be livelier with Klopp's attack dog barking in their ears.
Seizing back the crown from Arne Slot's ever-strengthening Liverpool will be a tough ask.
But Pep and Pep are capable of pepping up City significantly.
Advertisement
Nic red alert
9
Nicolas Jackson's spot at Chelsea is under threat
Credit: AP
IF you're a striker and your club has just bought a promising young rival for your position, how best to approach the challenge?
Well, if you're Nicolas Jackson and Chelsea have just signed Liam Delap, you respond with a second red card for reckless challenges in four appearances.
Jackson may be a goal threat but he is also one of football's great loose cannons — banned after five yellows for dissent in his first six Premier League matches.
Advertisement
His days at Stamford Bridge are numbered... despite the Senegalese striker having a contract until 2033.
Fit as a fiddle
9
Dan Evans has hit out at players making excuses for losing
Credit: PA
WITH plenty of violin music being played for burnt-out sportsmen, fair play to Dan Evans for calling out the current excuse culture.
The British tennis star says: 'I am fed up with sportspeople who, when they lose, there is an issue.
Advertisement
'Just f***ing shake the guy's hand and say well done.
'Somebody is never better than us — it's always 'we are tired'.
'If you're sick, you're sick. It's part of being a tennis player.
'Tiredness, the schedule — you can take time off. It's not an excuse. You have lost. That's it.'
Advertisement
Music to the ears!
Car starter
9
Lee Carsley has guided the under-21s to the semi-finals of the Euros
Credit: Getty
LEE CARSLEY'S England Under-21s scored an excellent 3-1 quarter-final win over Spain as they defend their Euros crown in Slovakia.
Carsley's CV is getting ever more impressive.
Advertisement
If he wasn't so unnecessarily nervous in media calls, he would be a shoo-in to eventually succeed seniors boss Thomas Tuchel.
Home comforts
9
Man City demolished Al-Ain 6-0 at the Club World Cup
Credit: Getty
MANCHESTER CITY fans will be delighted to hear a United-supporting friend is convinced Pep Guardiola's side will win the Club World Cup.
'With all these empty seats around, every match will feel like a home game,' he surmises.
Advertisement
How very cruel of him.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
3 hours ago
- Leader Live
Alexander Isak reports for Newcastle training after rest of squad leave
The 25-year-old Sweden international did not travel with his team-mates on their pre-season trip to Singapore and South Korea, ostensibly because of a minor thigh injury, after Liverpool, who subsequently tabled a £110million bid for him, let it be known they remained interested in acquiring his services. Isak, who later informed the club he wanted to explore his options this summer, instead flew to Spain to train at former club Real Sociedad and returned to Tyneside at the weekend, shortly before head coach Eddie Howe and his squad landed back from Seoul and were given two days off. The players were back at the training ground on Wednesday morning and their families were invited to join them after training. However, the PA news agency understands Isak, who reported back to the club's Benton base on Monday, was told not to come in until after they had left and was pictured arriving at around 1550. The £63million frontman has been a huge hit since his arrival from Sociedad during the summer of 2022 and played a key role last season as they ended their 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy with the Carabao Cup and qualified for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons. However questioned about his absence in South Korea, Howe signalled that his actions might have repercussions. The 47-year-old told reporters: 'You have to earn the right to train with us. We are Newcastle United. 'The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad – you have to act in the right way. So that is also at play here. 'We will make sure that any player earns the right to train with the group. No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal.' Isak is understood to have undergone treatment and light training at a deserted training ground on Monday and it remains to be seen whether he will have any involvement in the club's pre-season fixtures against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid this weekend. The striker faces clear-the-air talks with Howe, with his situation becoming seemingly more complicated by the day as a difficult transfer window threatens to spiral further out of control. Newcastle tabled an improved club record bid for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko on Monday in an effort to beat Manchester United to the punch, but developments since suggest the 22-year-old is more likely to head for Old Trafford than St James' Park. That would represent the latest blow in a transfer window which has already seen the Magpies miss out on major targets Dean Huijsen, Bryan Mbeumo, Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro, James Trafford and Liam Delap. They have managed to recruit Nottingham Forest wide man Anthony Elanga and, on loan, Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, but with frontman Callum Wilson and midfielder Sean Longstaff having left, there is significant work to be done, with the start of the new season just 10 days away. Howe was already looking for a striker before the Isak situation came to a head and, with three years remaining on the Swede's current deal – he has so far resisted the club's overtures to sign a new contract – there seems to be little prospect of the club allowing him to leave either before they have secured a replacement or for much less than their £150m valuation, having already rebuffed Liverpool's initial approach. Meanwhile, sources on Tyneside have played down suggestions that Newcastle have tabled a bid for AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw, but it is understood they are maintaining an interest in the Germany international.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Premier League 2025-26 preview No 7: Chelsea
Guardian writers' predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not necessarily Michael Butler's prediction but the average of our writers' tips) Last season's position: 4th Securing Champions League qualification on the last day of the Premier League season and an unlikely Club World Cup triumph have transformed the club, their finances and ambitions for 2025-26. Chelsea stayed relatively under the radar for much of the Club World Cup – in part because of their relatively kind route to the later stages – but their commanding 3-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the final means they are again regarded as a potentially dominant European force and perhaps even as contenders for the Premier League title. That is if Chelsea are ready – mentally, physically and tactically – for the new season. By the time Chelsea played the Club World Cup final on 13 July, nearly every other Premier League side had started their pre-season. Since then, while Liverpool, Arsenal and co have been hard at work, the players have had three weeks off and returned on Monday, with two friendly matches, two days apart, scheduled before their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on 17 August. To say Chelsea are playing catch-up is a severe understatement. That said, this is probably the most exciting period for Chelsea since the Champions League triumph in 2021. With the exception of goalkeeper and possibly centre-back, Enzo Maresca has a claim to having two elite players in every position and he could yet add further depth with Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho heavily linked. Departures will be needed to trim the fat and balance the books – Chelsea were given a €31m (£27m) fine last month by Uefa for breaking financial rules – but few would argue against them having the deepest squad in the league and one of Maresca's biggest challenges will be maintaining harmony and continuity, on and off the pitch. Last season, the Conference League was a useful chance to rest and rotate players. The Champions League will not be so accommodating. As recently as April, Maresca was at odds with the Chelsea fans and appeared to blame a negative environment at Stamford Bridge for a 2-2 home draw with Ipswich that left top-five hopes fading fast. But five wins from the final six league games secured fourth place, saving Chelsea's season and possibly Maresca's job. 'They were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough,' he said. 'Unfortunately for them, they have all been wrong. So in English, how do you say? Eff-off to all of them.' Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph – and the tactical masterclass by Maresca in the final to neutralise PSG's front three and create pockets of space for Cole Palmer – means he will get a very different reception at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea's league opener. Chelsea's much-maligned financial gymnastics of recent years – the eight-year contract amortisation (a loophole closed by Uefa), the sale of their hugely successful women's team (to their own parent company) and their rampant use of multiclub ownership and the loan system – have infuriated rivals and allowed them to assemble one of the deepest, youngest, most talented squads around. In the Todd Boehly era, Chelsea have spent more than £1.5bn and the club face an additional €60m fine from Uefa if they fail to comply with regulations over the next four years. A bigger stadium would help, but what Chelsea do with Stamford Bridge remains unclear; the 40,044-capacity ground is not easily developed given challenges ranging from the freehold to a nearby railway line. A move to Earl's Court has been mooted. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Estêvão was courted by PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich and is widely regarded as the biggest talent to come out of Brazil since Vinícius Júnior. The 18-year-old's performances at the Club World Cup – including a brilliant strike for Palmeiras against Chelsea in the quarter-final – suggests that the summer arrival is already world class. Players swooned over the teenager at the final whistle in Philadelphia – 'I told Estêvão: 'We are excited for you to join' but he didn't understand a single word I said,' Palmer said after swapping shirts with the £52m signing. Capable off both wings or as a No 10, the slender Estêvão will want to impress the former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, now of Brazil, before the World Cup next summer. 'He potentially can be a top defender for this club,' Maresca said of Josh Acheampong after the defender's performances at the Club World Cup prompted whispers that several clubs in England and Europe were tracking the teenager. How the 19-year-old fits into Maresca's plans remains to be seen, but his versatility, 6ft 3in stature and composure enabled him to enjoy a breakthrough year with 13 first-team appearances. Naturally a right-back or a centre-back but capable of playing anywhere across the backline, Acheampong joined Chelsea as an under-eight and signed a new five-year contract in 2024. 'The clubs that were mentioned, they like Josh, but we also like Josh,' Maresca said. 'The best plan for Josh is to be with us.' Roméo Lavia. The 21-year-old's quality is not in question. Chelsea are a better side with Lavia, more fluid and press-resistant, and he was sensational in a 3-1 win against Liverpool in May when he completed 100% of his passes. Maresca even moved Moisés Caicedo to right-back to accommodate Lavia alongside Enzo Fernández at the back end of last season, but concerns remain over the Belgian's fitness. After a first year when he managed 32 minutes in 2023-24, another injury-hit campaign followed, starting 11 league games. Another year on the sidelines could spell trouble, particularly as Chelsea have Caicedo, Fernández, Dário Essugo, the impressive Andrey Santos and perhaps Reece James competing for two spots in defensive midfield in Maresca's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Darwin Nunez 'poised for mammoth wage increase' as Liverpool flop closes on £46m Saudi Pro League move
Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez is reportedly in line for a significant increase in wages should he complete a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. The Premier League champions and Al-Hilal are said to have reached an agreement on a transfer fee for the Uruguayan forward. Al-Hilal are expected to pay a £46million fee, plus add-ons, to sign the forward. It represents a sizeable reduction on the £85m deal Liverpool agreed to sign the forward three years ago. According to talkSPORT, Nunez is expected to benefit financially by agreeing to join the Saudi Pro league side. The report claims Nunez will be paid a staggering £400,000-a-week at the big spending club. This would almost triple his reported £140,000-a-week wages at Liverpool. Speculation surrounding the striker has swirled for much of this year, with Al-Nassr seeing a bid rejected in January. Napoli also expressed an interest but they refused to meet Liverpool's valuation, while AC Milan are another side understood to considered an approach. Nunez had arrived at Liverpool from Benfica but has struggled to live up to his £85m transfer fee. The frontman has scored 40 goals in 143 appearances for the Reds, but has faced criticism throughout his spell for a series of missed chances. Last season, he netted just seven goals and registered four assists in his 45 appearances across all competitions. Nunez was limited to just eight starts in the Premier League during their title winning campaign. His prospects at Liverpool were furthered placed into doubt following the £79m signing of Hugo Ekitike and pursuit of Newcastle forward Alexander Isak.
