Former Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has expressed confidence that his old club’s impressive start to the season validates the decision of the departing coaching staff to remain for another year.
Lijnders, who followed Jurgen Klopp and several other members of the team in leaving Anfield after a successful tenure, is now the head coach at Red Bull Salzburg.
The Dutchman had contemplated leaving alongside Klopp the previous year following a disappointing campaign in which Liverpool missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time in seven years.
Ultimately, they opted to stay for one more season, during which the Reds claimed the League Cup and were in contention for a historic quadruple, finishing third in the Premier League.
Now, with Klopp’s replacement, Lijnders’ compatriot Arne Slot, at the helm, Liverpool have enjoyed the best start of any manager in the club’s history, securing nine wins in their first 10 games to lead the early Premier League standings.
“I’m really proud and I’m really blessed that Arne is doing what he’s doing,” Lijnders told The Times.
“Because this was the whole idea when we leave, that we leave the club and the team in a really, really strong moment.
“That was so important for us. I speak now for myself, but it’s so nice to see them play, to see ‘our’ boys perform so well.
“The guys who we had so high hopes for, who we signed when we built a new team, the guys are flourishing.
“So, I couldn’t be more proud of what’s happening.
“I always believed all the time that it would go like this.”
“I said already five times that I never considered it (staying) because we ended the job together.
“We said we will finish together and I go my own way as a head coach.
“That is what I’m really happy about, I really love that.”
Lijnders made significant moves during the summer transfer window, raiding his former club to sign Bobby Clark and secure Stefan Bajcetic on loan for the season.
However, both players have faced challenges, with Salzburg losing their first two matches in the Champions League and suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat in the domestic league against reigning champions Sturm Graz.
Lijnders said: “Listen, I know Bobby really well.
“I know the passion he has for the ball, to score goals, to go into the box, to be creative.
“He will be completely fine.
“Stefan, we know he didn’t play for one year, one and a half year even (because of adductor and calf injuries) .
“So he needed time as well.”
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