Pep Lijnders as the next Liverpool Manager

[localny]

Since Alonso has decided to make a smart move and stay in BL before taking the Madrid job, I've been thinking about who could take Klopp's players and do the best job. If this is the job description, then is there an argument to be made - unbelievably - for Pep who may be going to become the nest Ajax manager.

I'm honestly surprised to come to this conclusion, as I'm not mad about the bloke but..

PROS
- He'll apply the same tactics
- He knows the players well
- He knows hot to turn the game at Half time
- He's a good transitional option until our club needs a remodel in 3-4 years
- He'll allow for less of a "adjustment" for the players.
- Our players will keep doing what they are doing.
- We would keep the same backroom staff potentially. including Matos.

NEGATIVES
- He won't have a big personality that a new manager may have
- Players may not be happy about this. But maybe they will

QUESTIONS
- Would we be getting a large piece of Klopp's playing style or is it wrong to try and keep it?
- Would this be like the ole boot room transitions?
- Could we keep playing without a big manager persona?
- Do we need to move on completely to a new manager?

So, would you be against this idea and why?
Or does it suddenly seem like the least risky choice out there? Feels less risky than bringing in a young Portuguese manager.

 

[Frogfish]

Wouldn't be popular amongst the SCM forumites but there is a lot of logic to it as in he takes the actual coaching sessions and is clearly responsible for a lot of the in-game assessment and changes at HT /Subs. And now there is a DoF and a better management team above him a lot of that responsibility falls elsewhere and the manager can now get on with his primary responsibility.

Not sure he has the personality to manage a squad of top class players without a Klopp-like figure. Guess we wouldn't know until he's tested.

 

[tombrown]

Apparently he wrote a book once, and that was the sole reason we had a relatively poor season.

Meanwhile Achterburg secretly plotted to destroy all our keepers with a combination of herbal "remedies" and mind games

So a Lijnders-Achterburg partnership at the wheel would be worth it for the shits & giggles on social media. Maybe with Henderson & Lucas joining the coaching staff.

 

[Hansern]

I dont think he has got what it takes to take over this kind of role at this stage of his career. Not sure if the best way forward for us is to appoint someone who will try to copy Klopp but without the man himself.
Sounds like a recepie for quick failure.
He has also ruled himself out of the running and I can see him taking on the Ajax job.

 

[Squiggles]

I would not be confident. His only experience in management sounded like a mess. Maybe it was a wrong club, wrong time situation, but I do not believe you can become manager of a club of our size anymore without having established yourself. Arteta has made a success of it, but that had been a pretty exception and be studied under Pep. Plus Klopps other assistants are leaving, so the 'continuation as normal' idea does not work. We need someone who can bring a team in.

The only way I was ever for Ljinders was if Klopp was taking a year sabactical and would return. The risk would have been mitigated. Is he right man to take us into the next era? Both he and the club have decided against it. Ajax would be a perfect move for him and likely the best he can do, IMHO. The club couldn't be better placed to assess his credentials, so if he was up to the job it would have been done already.

 

[Judge Jules]

Agreed. There have been plenty of good coaches for whom stepping up to a manager's job turned out to be a step too far. I suspect Lijnders may be about to add to that number and for a variety of reasons it would be particularly sad to see it happen at Liverpool.

 

[Markeh]

The only counter point i have to the negativity towards this idea is that he will have way more support, supervision and time to focus on purely coaching with Hughes and Edward’s in place.

The idea makes sense but i don’t fancy him either

 

[Judge Jules]

Edward's what?

 

[Markeh]

Edward's what?

Powerful autocomplete on his phone keyboard 🤔

 

[darkstarexodus]

I can see the logic but it's telling, for me, that he doesn't appear to have thrown his hat in the ring. His previous management stint didn't go well and I just don't have sufficient confidence in him.

All the other options are significant risks as well but he'd be a bigger risk than most.

 

[Frogfish]

The Sky odds are interesting in that Amorim is 6/5 now but Xabi is still 2/1 and Pep is third on that list.

 

[Markeh]

I can see the logic but it's telling, for me, that he doesn't appear to have thrown his hat in the ring. His previous management stint didn't go well and I just don't have sufficient confidence in him.

All the other options are significant risks as well but he'd be a bigger risk than most.

I do suspect though that he was told in a nice way that he wouldn’t be considered, be it directly or being told that the new structure, who he may not necessarily get on with, will be making the choice.

 

[darkstarexodus]

I do suspect though that he was told in a nice way that he wouldn’t be considered, be it directly or being told that the new structure, who he may not necessarily get on with, will be making the choice.

Yes, which also all leads to a "that's a no for me, dawg".

 

[Dreambeliever]

No thanks to Pep L

 

[binomial]

He’s said himself quite strictly he wouldn’t out of respect to Klopp.

 

[localny]

He’s said himself quite strictly he wouldn’t out of respect to Klopp.

But if he asked he would consider it I’d say. Matos is going where he’s going. And others might stay too as they want to coach together.

So the argument is that he needs to succeed at a big club first. But couldn’t we be this club: where he would be set up for success most - wit coaches he knows and a club that knows him?

It’s not about copying Klopp but it’s about getting the best out of Klopp’s players. You see how his players do when they move onto new systems. Terrible. So now we have 22 players without Klopp's system.

Why not try and keep them within a similar system.

I’m looking for logicial reasons to not give it to him and give to another unproven guy instead and I can’t see it.

How would Amorim get more out of these lads and not Pep? is charisma enough?

Also - KLOPP was not a high risk appointment. The next guy will be for sure.

So logically - I ask again. Why not?

Our major strength is that we are really well drilled. This gives us a huge edge. With a new manager this we would lose this edge. Appointing Pep helps avoid that.

And again I’m not mad about him either. But I’m starting to wonder that with a lack of actual options out there that he might be the right man to get the best out of this group of players - if that is the job description.

 

[Judge Jules]

The argument isn't so much that he needs to succeed at a big club first. It's that he's had a go at a clearly lower level and unfortunately didn't cut it, whereas the others who've been mentioned have proven up to the task and hence look a better bet to be able to take on the Liverpool job.

It's true, of course, that anyone coming in now will be a risk. For me that's all the more reason to try, as far as we can, to minimise that risk.

 

[localny]

The argument isn't so much that he needs to succeed at a big club first. It's that he's had a go at a clearly lower level and unfortunately didn't cut it, whereas the others who've been mentioned have proven up to the task and hence look a better bet to be able to take on the Liverpool job.

It's true, of course, that anyone coming in now will be a risk. For me that's all the more reason to try, as far as we can, to minimise that risk.

Righty Master JJ - but isn’t his chances of success greater at a club where he knows the club and risk success patterns inside out?

I thin a key variable here is that once players leave Jurgen Klopp’s teams, they do downhill.

So why not keep that system with the guy who was the guardian and executor of said system.

I’m not so much as looking to have him do the job as someone give me a good argument why he should be given a chance.

So far I have heard no real Solis aegumenr against him. Come on lads - give me your ligicb tell me why logically he’s not the best man to get rh most out of all these players.

More than a compete stranger who plays a totally different system

 

[Judge Jules]

Sorry, Niall, but IMHO Lijnders' failure in his first go at management back in Holland is a solid reason to doubt his suitability for the LFC gig now.

As for the LFC connection argument - well, in principle it's a fair one and the club have obv.relied heavily on it in the past, but its record is mixed - it's given us Uncle Roy and Souness as well as Paisley and King Kenny.

 

[darkstarexodus]

The biggest argument in favor of Pep is continuity. The second biggest argument in favor of Pep is that we can sack him and hire Xabi next summer.

 

[localny]

So here’s the thing though. Should failure for NEC in getting promotion be seen as a block to future advances? How were the players? What was the situation? Was he a different manager back then? How has he improved. Should we not consider this?

Did you ever fail at a first attempt in your career? Did you get a second chance?

Didn’t Alonso stumble badly with Sociadad B?

Is there any other reason? Not a leader perhaps?

For me it all comes back to who can make this orchestra of players sing the best. And he has to be up there with Amorim surely?

 

[StevieM]

So here’s the thing though. Should failure for NEC in getting promotion be seen as a block to future advances? How were the players? What was the situation? Was he a different manager back then? How has he improved. Should we not consider this?

Did you ever fail at a first attempt in your career? Did you get a second chance?

Didn’t Alonso stumble badly with Sociadad B?

Is there any other reason? Not a leader perhaps?

For me it all comes back to who can make this orchestra of players sing the best. And he has to be up there with Amorim surely?

I’m with you on this.

I think the NEC experience is overblown - taking over a club with a history of sacking managers (changed managers 9 times in the last decade) mid season isn’t exactly a particularly strong stick with which to beat Lijnders.

It’s a completely different situation to taking over a group of players he knows, that respect him and he’s been training for the last few years - it’s the path of least disruption for me.

The only question for me is how he’d fit with the new structure and whether him, Edwards & Hughes can work effectively together as it represents a change.

For me, a Lijnders should absolutely be in the discussion - I think I’d be less worried about him than other managers, if I’m honest.

 

[Frogfish]

I’m with you on this.

I think the NEC experience is overblown - taking over a club with a history of sacking managers (changed managers 9 times in the last decade) mid season isn’t exactly a particularly strong stick with which to beat Lijnders.

It’s a completely different situation to taking over a group of players he knows, that respect him and he’s been training for the last few years - it’s the path of least disruption for me.

The only question for me is how he’d fit with the new structure and whether him, Edwards & Hughes can work effectively together as it represents a change.

For me, a Lijnders should absolutely be in the discussion - I think I’d be less worried about him than other managers, if I’m honest.

He's #3 in the SKy betting (though Xabi is still at #2) !

 

[localny]

I’m with you on this.

I think the NEC experience is overblown - taking over a club with a history of sacking managers (changed managers 9 times in the last decade) mid season isn’t exactly a particularly strong stick with which to beat Lijnders.

It’s a completely different situation to taking over a group of players he knows, that respect him and he’s been training for the last few years - it’s the path of least disruption for me.

The only question for me is how he’d fit with the new structure and whether him, Edwards & Hughes can work effectively together as it represents a change.

For me, a Lijnders should absolutely be in the discussion - I think I’d be less worried about him than other managers, if I’m honest.

I know right. It’s an interesting proposition. If he’s not even being considered I’m guessing there’s a personality question mark of some kind.

 

[localny]

Still waiting for a solid argument against Pep 😆

 

[Hyena]

How about
(1) The skillset for being a successful assistant and manager are not exactly the same.
(2) He was a successful assistant but failed as a manager. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to expect him to hone the art of managing elsewhere before managing us?
(3) There is nothing to suggest that he is a better manager than Amorim, Nagelsmann, De Zerbi or even Southgate.

 

[Hyena]

I haven't even brought up the fact that I have the urge to punch him in the face and I suspect I'm not the only one.

 

[localny]

On point three, isn't it more of if he will be a better manager "of this squad"...

But yes, I'm not a fan. It just seems SO less risky than bringing in a manager to coach players who will likely go downhill once Klopp goes

 

[Hansern]

The biggest argument in favor of Pep is continuity. The second biggest argument in favor of Pep is that we can sack him and hire Xabi next summer.

We’ll most likely waste a year though. No point.

 

[darkstarexodus]

We’ll most likely waste a year though. No point.

I was being fairly non-serious with that post. I think it's wise not to dismiss him without consideration but he wouldn't be my choice.