Former Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders believes his old club’s strong start to the season has justified the decision of the departed coaching staff to remain in charge for a further year. Lijnders followed Jurgen Klopp and several others in leaving the Reds in the summer after a trophy-laden spell at Anfield.
The Dutchman, who is now boss at Red Bull Salzburg, had considered leaving along with Klopp the previous year after a disappointing campaign in which Liverpool missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time in seven years.
However, they chose to stay for another season in which the Reds won the League Cup and flirted with a trophy quadruple before finishing third in the Premier League.
Now Klopp’s replacement, Lijnders’ Dutch compatriot Slot, has enjoyed the best start of any Liverpool boss with nine wins in 10 games to lead the early top-flight standings.
“I’m really proud and I’m really blessed that Arne is doing what he’s doing,” said Lijnders. “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 raided his old club in the summer to sign Bobby Clark and take Stefan Bajcetic on loan for the campaign. Both have had their difficulties, with Salzburg losing their opening two Champions League game and thumped in the domestic league 5-0 by champions Sturm Graz.
But speaking to The Times, 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.
