Latest news with #PepLijnders
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Jamie Carragher pinpoints immediate Pep Lijnders effect on Pep Guardiola and Man City
Manchester City confirmed the appointment of Jurgen Klopp's former Liverpool trustee Pep Lijnders earlier this summer and he already appears to be having an impact at the Etihad Jamie Carragher believes Pep Lijnders is already helping to transform Manchester City into Liverpool 2.0. The former Reds coach was appointed by City this summer as Pep Guardiola 's assistant following a difficult spell with Red Bull Salzburg. And he will be hoping to help the Spaniard to a seventh Premier League title this season - his former side Liverpool having claimed the crown last term. City got off to the best possible start by thumping Wolves 4-0 on the opening weekend. Having watched the game, Liverpool icon Carragher claimed he could see some major influence from Lijnders in City's approach to the game. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: 'It's one game, I can't get out of my head what Pep said last season, that 'it's not really my football where the game is going', transition, end-to-end football. 'Pep Lijnders is a big coach, big influence on Jurgen Klopp and I did see little instance of that Liverpool team. I watched the game at the weekend and couldn't believe what I saw, the players were jumping a high line. 'When you think back to Liverpool and the amount of counter attacking goals with Sadio Mane and Mo Salah - I looked at the goal from Reijnders who was an absolute revelation - and - it was maybe not much like a Pep Guardiola goal. 'Of course they've scored plenty of counter attacking goals in the past but the reason it stood out was the counter attacking nature of it and the celebration, Lijnders and Guardiola, he's giving him the thanks hug. 'We don't know exactly what it's for but I don't think it's a coincidence, he as a coach is having a big influence on Pep Guardiola.' While Carragher has already spotted Lijnders' influence on City, Guardiola has also explained why he brought the Dutchman on board. Speaking about his expertise, the Spanish tactician said: "He's opened my eyes in many and a few things in a short time. It's happened for many years from all the assistant managers I've had; always I try to drink from their knowledge! "I need the people like last season with Juanma [Lillo], in the past with Mikel [Arteta], with Enzo [Maresca], with Dome [Torrent], with Rodo [Borrell] - all the assistants help me. Always it's, 'What is your opinion? What would you do? How would you do it? What drill will you make?' "That is what it's all about, it's nice, and now we have experience with Kolo [Toure], with James [French], with Pep [Lijnders], and every time he adds something, I say, 'Wow! This could be good! We could make this step, we can be better', and that is how the world works! Not just all the time the same, you have to open your mind, and be open to other minds, other people!" Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Are Man City morphing into Liverpool? Jamie Carragher pinpoints moment that confirmed huge influence Pep Lijnders is having on Pep Guardiola
Man City made the perfect start to the new season and Jamie Carragher thinks the influence of new assistant manager Pep Lijnders is already showing. City thrashed Wolves 4-0 at Molineux in what was the most convincing performance of any side over the opening weekend. Erling Haaland bagged a brace while new signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki both got themselves on the scoresheet with fine finishes. City, who are known for dominating the ball and breaking opponents down, looked particularly dangerous on the counter on the night. And Carragher thinks Jurgen Klopp's former assistant Lijnders has brought some elements of that Liverpool team's game to his new side. Speaking on Monday night Football, he said: 'it's one game, I can't get out of my head what Pep said last season, that 'it's not really my football where the game is going', transition end-to-end football. 'Pep Ljinders is a big coach, big influence on Jurgen Klopp and I did see little instance of that Liverpool team. 'I watched the game at the weekend and couldn't believe what I saw, the players were jumping a high line. 'When you think back to Liverpool and the amount of counter attacking goals with Sadio Mane and Mo Salah - I looked at the goal from Reinjders who was an absolute revelation - and - it was maybe not much like a Pep Guardiola goal. 'Of course they've scored plenty of counter attacking goals in the past but the reason it stood out was the counter attacking nature of it and the celebration, Lijnders and Guardiola, he's giving him the thanks hug. 'We don't know exactly what it's for but I don't think it's a coincidence, he as a coach is having a big influence on Pep Guardiola. Lijnders spent 10 years at Liverpool over two spells and left the club when Klopp did. The Reds were famous for their lightning quick counter-attacks during the second spell. He went on to take charge of RB Salzburg but was sacked after just 29 games with the Austrian side 10 points adrift in the title race.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Wolves vs Manchester City Premier League prediction, odds and betting offer
Manchester City visit Wolves on opening day with records to protect and title intent as the Premier League returns Manchester City begin their title chase on Saturday evening at Molineux, taking on a Wolves side tipped for a survival scrap. The champions-in-waiting tag is quieter than usual after last year's third-place finish, but the weight of history still leans heavily City's way. Few clubs start faster. City have claimed victory in 13 of their last 14 Premier League openers and are embarking on a ninth straight season beginning away from home. They have won seven of the previous eight of those road openers, scoring freely and barely conceding. August tends to suit them too, with just one defeat in their last 31 league matches played in the month. Pep Guardiola's men have had a stripped-back prep: one friendly, a 2-0 win over Palermo on 9 August. That economy of minutes could leave them short of rhythm, yet the squad's muscle memory often bridges any early-season gap. The broader reset is notable: more than £300m invested across the last eight months and changes on the bench, including the arrival of Pep Lijnders as assistant, signal fresh ideas alongside familiar control. Vitor Pereira calmed the waters last term, steering Wolves well clear of danger. The departure of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri, however, strips away creativity and ball-carrying threat. Recruits Fer Lopez, Jhon Arias and David Moller Wolfe join after Jorgen Strand Larsen's loan was made permanent, a roughly £70m outlay that must translate quickly. Pre-season offered little comfort, with three defeats and a draw against Championship opposition hinting at teething problems. Wolves vs Man City Wolves - 11/2 Draw - 7/2 Man City - 1/2 18+ | Gamble responsibly | | Odds subject to change Wolves vs Man City Man City to win and over 3.5 goals - 5/2 Man City to score over 2.5 goals - 13/8 Erling Haaland to score anytime - 17/20 18+ | Gamble responsibly | | Odds subject to change Wolves vs Man CityB If you are on the lookout for the latest free bet offers, then look no further. Here, not only do we bring you numerous free bet offers, but all from the very best betting sites in the industry. Each bookie we recommend is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, so you know you are always betting on a safe and trustworthy site. Check out the Mirror Betting Hubs Free Bets offers here. Gamble responsibly Reach plc is committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too. We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. For more information, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit
BBC News
04-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
How Man City are evolving to be more like Klopp's Liverpool
Former Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders joined Manchester City in June, and his arrival demonstrated a shift in the style of Pep Guardiola's Lijnders, like Klopp, is far more concerned than Guardiola with aggressive, high-octane attacking football and the opportunities that open up when the ball changes hands - and that seems to be how City are their 2023-24 to 24-25 campaigns, City's possession share dropped from 65.5% to 61.3% while their total number of fast breaks jumped from 22 to 30, a rise of 36%.Most prominently, we saw more long balls from Ederson to bypass the opposition high press and more direct dribbling through the lines from January signing Omar by the looks of things, was the first signing of Man City 2.0: the rebuild that will shift Pep Guardiola, Pep Lijnders and City into a more Klopp-like direction. More players in that mould have since Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders have arrived from Lyon and AC Milan respectively and both signings, like Marmoush, point to more carrying of the ball through the lines and fewer neatly choreographed passing put it more simply, Cherki, Reijnders, and Marmoush are the kind of players who prefer to ride the data here is stark. Compared with Man City's three most commonly used central midfielders in 2024-25, Cherki, Reijnders, and Marmoush scored considerably higher for 'progressive carries' (a carry of the ball at least five metres towards the opponent's goal) and 'attempted dribbles'.Read Alex's full piece over here
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pep talks - how Klopp's ex-assistant is shaping Man City
Manchester City have spent more than £150m on five new players this summer but Pep Guardiola's biggest signing did not cost a penny - and he will not play any football, either. In early June, the second-most important figure of Jurgen Klopp-era Liverpool became Guardiola's right-hand man at Manchester City. Really, it should have been a bigger news story, not least because hiring Pep Lijnders - a man credited with most of the day-to-day training under Klopp, as well as a substantial part of the German's tactical evolution post-Borussia Dortmund - suggests Guardiola is considering a major tactical overhaul. But what's even more remarkable is that those tactical changes will be navigated with the substantial input of a coach who worked with Klopp on concepts like counter-pressing and attacking in vertical lines; on concepts that served as the antidote to Guardiola's famous positional play. That contrast is often overstated, mind. Guardiola and Klopp borrowed from one another, and their shared peaks at Liverpool and Man City almost seem to merge into one perfect blend of Klopp's dynamism and Guardiola's control. On the one hand Klopp's 'heavy metal' football was tamed by an appreciation of territorial dominance, on the other Guardiola used Klopp's ideas to adapt to the rough-and-tumble of Premier League life. Nevertheless Lijnders, like Klopp, is far more concerned than Guardiola with aggressive, high-octane attacking football and the opportunities that open up when the ball changes hands. Until now. Because from the outside looking in, Lijnders' appointment appears to confirm Guardiola thinks modern Premier League football is moving in the direction of the old Kloppites. And he's right. It used to be the case that Guardiola's territorial suffocation would pin back inferior opponents but, as the middle-class teams got better, those who were bold enough to press hard and disrupt the build-up play started to see rewards. They quite literally pushed back, until pressing hard and maximising transitions spread across the division and even Guardiola struggled to control things with slow passing and rigid positioning. "Today, modern football is the way Bournemouth, Newcastle, Brighton and Liverpool play," Pep Guardiola told TNT Sports a few months ago. "Modern football is not positional. You have to ride the rhythm." That's a huge statement from the man whose 'positional play' tactical philosophy pretty much defined the past 15 years of the sport, but it's spot on. Over the past five years fast breaks and direct attacks are on the rise, while PPDA - a measure of pressing frequency and intensity, where a lower score means greater pressure - is going down. When Guardiola made those comments about modern football he was already beginning to experiment with a subtly more direct style of play. Comparing their 2023-24 to 24-25 campaigns, City's possession share dropped from 65.5% to 61.3% while their total number of fast breaks jumped from 22 to 30, a rise of 36%. Most prominently, we saw more long balls from Ederson to bypass the opposition high press and more direct dribbling through the lines from January signing Omar Marmoush. Marmoush, by the looks of things, was the first signing of Man City 2.0: the rebuild that will shift Guardiola, Lijnders and City into a more Klopp-like direction. More players in that mould have since followed. Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders have arrived from Lyon and AC Milan respectively and both signings, like Marmoush, point to more carrying of the ball through the lines and fewer neatly choreographed passing triangles. To put it more simply, Cherki, Reijnders, and Marmoush are the kind of players who prefer to ride the rhythm. The data here is stark. Compared with Man City's three most commonly used central midfielders in 2024-25, Cherki, Reijnders, and Marmoush scored considerably higher for 'progressive carries' (a carry of the ball at least five metres towards the opponent's goal) and 'attempted dribbles'. Signing Rayan Ait-Nouri also alludes to Klopp-esque - or Lijnders-esque – football, because having mostly deployed central midfielders or centre-backs in the full-back positions over the past two seasons - an obvious nod to control, order, and discipline - Guardiola has emphatically changed direction. Ait-Nouri is one of the most attacking full-backs in Europe. Similar to the other three 2025 signings we have discussed, he ranked second for dribbles completed among defenders in the Premier League last season (63) and sixth among full-backs for progressive carries (89). But more impressively, he was within the top three among defenders for goal involvements (11), expected assists (5.5) and touches in the opposition box (96). Ait-Nouri's arrival tells us Guardiola is done with packing midfielders into the team and is ceding some control in favour of more urgent, vertical attacking football. Just like that, Manchester City fans can go from worrying about their team's slow and passive football to wondering how such an explosive attacking pair as Ait-Nouri and Jeremy Doku could work together on the left, or how Marmoush and Cherki will fit into the same attacking midfield space. They will certainly have more questions than answers before the 2025-26 Premier League campaign gets under way, because most of their new arrivals - on the pitch and in the dugout - just don't fit the usual Pep archetype. Clearly Guardiola is working on something new. With Lijnders at his side, it could be his sharpest left turn yet.
