Pep Lijnders has been integral to Jurgen Klopp's success at Liverpool. So much so, that after signing a new contract with the club on Thursday, the Reds boss was full of praise for his trusted lieutenant.
“When I thought about [the extension] then it was clear I need to have one really important conversation with Pep Lijnders," Klopp said. "He is probably the main reason for it, because he is a real energiser.”
The Dutch coach is considered as an expert mind in the world of football, and Coaches' Voice recently managed to convince him to open up about Liverpool's methods. In an exclusive chat, he talked about the past, but also captured a key strength of the current team in his words.
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The theme of the conversation was the high-profile 4-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League three years ago. He talked about how Liverpool achieve the unthinkable but in doing so, offered an insight into what not to do when playing against them.
"We knew that Barca was not a high-pressing team," Lijnders told. "With Suarez and Messi, they were not the kind of players who chase here and chase there."
Liverpool's analysis determined that Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip would benefit from time and space on the ball against the Catalan outfit. According to Lijnders, that was bad news for the Spanish side. "It is not a good idea to not put Virgil under pressure because Virgil with time can play," said Lijnders. "It is not a good idea when Joel has time, because he will come in."
Klopp's assistant captured the threats posed by Van Dijk and Matip, despite their roles in the centre of defence. The former is capable of hitting lofted passes over the top and diagonal passes towards the right flank, whereas the latter has proved to be quite the ball-carrier in recent years.
Aymeric Laporte is the only player in the Premier League who has completed more long passes than Van Dijk this season, with those defined as passes longer than 30 yards. A number of opponents have suffered at the hands of his accuracy.
His famous pass to Sadio Mane against Bayern Munich some years ago is a perfect example, as shown below. Mikel Arteta once described the difficulties of defending him, stating: "We tried to put them under as much pressure as we could, but Van Dijk plays a 60-yard pass to Mohamed Salah and they are out. That's quality.”
In terms of Matip, he places second in the division for the amount of progressive distance - in yards - that he's travelled with the ball at his feet this season. The Cameroonian also places fifth overall for progressive carries, which highlights his dynamic nature.
If he's afforded space, Matip will drive through it and that was epitomised by his impressive goal against Leeds United in February, which originated from a proactive run forward.
"We want every player to be able to play the last pass," Lijnders told Coaches' Voice. In Van Dijk and Matip, Liverpool have two central defenders who are capable of contributing with valuable perks whenever the Reds are in possession of the ball.
Klopp's men can generate openings from anywhere. If you are an opponent, you are never safe, and Lijnders knows it.
