Assistant manager says pre-season joke targeted negativityLijnders adds fresh leadership and signings have been key
Pepijn Lijnders has attributed Liverpool’s stirring recovery this season to their summer recruitment, fresh leadership and the threat of a punch in the face.
Liverpool’s assistant manager made the threat as a pre-season joke to the squad as he and Jürgen Klopp sought to draw a line under the disappointment of the 2022-23 campaign. Lijnders believes the determination to move on, along with the quality of Liverpool’s midfield rebuild and players such as Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold assuming greater responsibility, has re-energised Klopp and the team.