Liverpool’s assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders has described his players as being “on another planet” to anyone else.
The Dutchman has been a hugely influential addition to Jurgen Klopp backroom team since replacing Zeljko Buvac as the manager’s second in command.
Having previously worked at the academy and been first-team development coach, Lijnders returned in the summer of 2018, following a stint as manager of NEC Nijmegen.
Lauded for his tactical work on the training ground, the 36-year-old has played a key role in Liverpool’s rise over the last couple of years.
In an interview with The Athletic, Lijnders heaped praise on the Reds players, saying their passion is second to none currently, separating them from the rest:
The passion and ambition of these players is from another planet.
Their self-confidence, their self-criticism, that is what makes us consistent. These boys have the ability to make even a simple rondo competitive.
People talk about going game to game — no, we commit session to session. Small things make big things happen. You have to focus on doing the small things right constantly.
The passion and ambition I see, especially on the rainy and windy days here, that for me is what separates us from the others.
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This is a special group of players that Klopp has built, with world-class quality and a winning mentality flowing through their veins.
As Lijnders alludes to, there is a competitiveness that is obvious even in training, and this never-say-die attitude has come to the fore on the pitch numerous times this season.
Liverpool have found themselves struggling late on in matches, only to win games at the death, most notably against the likes of Leicester City, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
The fact that Klopp’s men have only lost once in the Premier League since May 2018 speaks volumes.
