[ad_1]
Liverpool’s outgoing assistant manager, Pep Lijnders, recalled how Arne Slott “came to his house in Holland about nine years ago” and asked “a thousand questions”.
Unlike when Alex Ferguson was replaced by David Moyes at Man United, Jurgen Klopp had no say in the identity of Liverpool’s next manager.
Klopp does not know Slott personally, although they have had a call since the Dutchman took over. However, Lijnders is much closer to his compatriot.
Red Bull Salzburg’s new manager revealed to The Athletic that he “knows Arne really well”.
The pair first met when Slott was on staff at Cambuur.
Speaking to journalist James Pearce, Lijnders said: “He came to my house in Holland about nine years ago.
“He came to talk to me about football. He drove a long time to see me and had a thousand questions. I tried to answer everything!
“Since then we have remained in close contact. He is an amazing coach, who knows exactly what he wants and has the experience to be at a club like Liverpool.”
With Slott at the helm, the now former Liverpool manager is optimistic about the future of the Reds. Liverpool’s squad is full of young talent and Lijnders thinks Slott will “snap” right into the game.
“There are similarities between Feyenoord and Liverpool. Their fans are so passionate. They also sing You’ll Never Walk Alone,” Klopp’s right-hand man added.
“You need a coach like Arne who is close to what we’ve tried to do over the years, in terms of possession in the opposition half, pressing, counter-pressing — he’s very strategic in that regard.
“He has taken good steps and now is his chance to take another big step.
“When I talked to Mike (Gordon) and Jurgen, I said you need a young coach who can grow with this new team. Arne has everything in him to be successful here.”
He would replace Lijnders as Sipka Hulshoff’s assistant. He has already stepped down as Ronald Koeman’s assistant in the Netherlands, and is expected to leave Feyenoord as well.
However, he has not yet been officially announced as an employee of Liverpool.
[ad_2]
