Liverpool assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders believes the key to beating teams at the weekend is to first train better than them in the week, stressing ambition and passion as key.
The Dutch assistant manager first landed at Liverpool almost five years ago and has proved to be an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s backroom staff.
The 37-year old has emphasised the importance of keeping Liverpool’s core group of players together, admitting it is now rare to keep such talented players in one side after a successful spell.
Klopp’s hunger, passion and ambition are the driving force behind Liverpool’s prolonged period of success and is the reason why the Reds can keep riding this wave, according to Lijnders.
Lijnders revealed the players’ hard work and dedication on the training pitch is the key to beating the opposition, adding it is vital that his side trains with more passion and ambition than their opponents, focusing on the mantra of laying the groundwork to beat them on week days.
"Other teams will improve and are improving. The way to keep beating them is training with more passion and ambition then they are doing, each single day, each minute of each session. Beat them in the week not at the weekend”, Lijnders told the club’s official site.
“In modern football, it doesn’t happen much anymore that you can keep a group of super pros together, especially after a successful period.
"Can we keep this passion? Yes! Can we keep this ambition? Yes! Can we keep this hunger for more? Yes! Why? Because of Jürgen."
Liverpool have won praise for their immense work-rate and never-say-die attitude under Klopp, with the Champions League being claimed last season through committed performances.
