Pep Lijnders - Pep Lijnders: Intensity: Inside Liverpool FC

Copyright Pep Lijnders 2022.

The right of Pep Lijnders to be identified as the owner of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the copyright holders, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent publisher.

Written with James Carroll.

Published in Great Britain and Ireland in 2022 by Reach Sport.

www.reachsport.com

@Reach_Sport

Reach Sport is a part of Reach PLC.

Hardback ISBN: 9781914197482

Trade paperback ISBN: 9781914197550

Ebook ISBN: 9781914197574

Photographic acknowledgements:

Liverpool Football Club, Alamy, Getty Images, Pep Lijnders.

Editing and production: David Cottrell, Roy Gilfoyle, William Hughes.

Design: Rick Cooke.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright.

Any oversight will be rectified in future editions.

Foreword

by Jrgen Klopp

I hadnt known this young, enthusiastic, bright, ideas-filled Dutch football coach that long when I realised he was constantly making notes. Always writing things down, be it on a device or with pen and paper. Staff meetings, team meetings, snatch conversations here and there or immediately after training sessions and games he was detailing information. Constantly. Eventually I asked him, Why do you do that?

Because all of this information and these experiences are valuabletheyre like a gold mine. Why wouldnt I?

That guy was Pepijn Lijnders and although I didnt realise it then, he would go on to become one of the most important figures in my professional life. When I arrived at Liverpool Football Club in 2015 I was specifically asked by our owner Mike Gordon to keep Pep as part of my staff. It was a request rather than a demand. Now I cant imagine how different and less fulfilling things would have been if Id have said no.

Weve enjoyed successes and failures together, incredible highs and some heartbreaking lows. He left, for a brief period, for NEC Nijmegen and came back. And since then, his contribution to this organisation cannot be overstated. Im blessed with two sensational assistant-managers in Pep and Peter Krawietz, supported by Vitor Matos, and many other wonderful, talented staff throughout our football set-up.

Pep is unique, though. Ive never met anyone like him before and Im not sure Ill be fortunate enough to do so again in the future. He is studious and coaching-obsessed; he believes in the training process with a passion Ive never seen before. It was his obsession with chronicling everything we do that led to this project happening. This diary, this book, our story of 2021/22.

Typically, he was conscientious about it. He was tentative when asking whether or not he should do it. We had just arrived in Evian from Austria for the final part of our training camp in July 2021 when he raised it. At that stage no-one knew the adventure we were about to embark on over the next nine months, but Pep could sense something special was brewing. His only motivation for this project was to give our supporters a closer insight into our world. The decisions, how we reach them and the reasoning behind them.

One of his key characteristics is that he wants to share his joy and passion for football with everyone. He doesnt make distinctions. Hes never a snob or judgemental, like some within the professional game can be. He doesnt think some are more worthy of a football opinion than others, or that certain insight is beyond anyone whos not an employee of a club, has the relevant coaching badges or been a professional player.

Ive no idea if there is anything such as football socialism, but if there is then Pep is at the forefront of that ideology. He believes that by sharing ideas and experiences with each other we enrich the game we love and make the experience of watching and supporting even more fulfilling. Im sure a project such as this will raise eyebrows in some quarters, but to be honest I couldnt care less. We do things our own way at Liverpool Football Club. People who read this will feel an even greater connection to our team and our environment.

Its not about giving away secrets or lifting a veil. What we do isnt that serious and we shouldnt kid ourselves that its some sort of special, mystical world. Its football, the greatest sport in the world, enjoyed by most people on this planet of ours. Its about community and engagement. Its about something that brings people together in a way very few things can. Its about making strangers into friends. Individuals into a collective.

Im so proud of Pep. Hes family to me. I love the guy so much. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as we did living it.

Youll Never Walk Alone

Jrgen

Prologue

It all started in pre-season. It all started during the 28 days we spent as a group across two bases in Austria as well as the final leg in Evian, France. Of course, I am talking about what unfolded on the pitch for Liverpool Football Club during the 2021/22 campaign, but also this book youre about to read. Could I have imagined how this season would ultimately turn out? Of course not. Especially because of the well-documented difficulties wed faced and felt during 2020/21.

Heading into the first phase of our training camp in Saalfelden, Austria, I felt there was a do-or-die season in front of us and therefore it was the most pressure Id ever felt during a pre-season. The incredible efforts of our players in the final stages of the previous campaign gave us a base and Champions League football. From there, it was about getting our whole building back together and moving forward as a collective, powerful unit once again.

That month away from home was tough, both physically and mentally, but it provided the foundations for us to go on and achieve what we did. Everything was mapped out, visualised and worked towards during that time. Its where the new ideas were introduced and the old ones finessed and fine-tuned. The team needed inspiration and positivity. Thats why I accepted the offer to write a regular diary for the clubs official website. With this make-or-break season in front of us, I felt I could use it to give an extra message to our team, to our staff and, of course, to our fans. When we returned to Liverpool, we were proud to be able to say wed delivered an incredible pre-season and the wheels were in motion for this book.

It was in Evian when James Carroll suggested a book. I think it was something he said slightly in jest via WhatsApp, but I told him immediately, Okay, lets do it why should we wait? I told James that if we agreed to do this, wed do it with all we have with all I have with no holding back and with no secrets. What if the season doesnt go to plan? was something we discussed, but we agreed we would still write it. Why? Because it is in these moments a season is defined.