Manchester City has officially announced the appointment of Pep Lijnders to their coaching staff, a move aimed at revitalizing the team after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title to Liverpool. This strategic addition follows the departure of Juanma Lillo, Inigo Dominguez, and Carlos Vicens from the Etihad Stadium earlier this summer. Lijnders, who has a history of success with Liverpool, is expected to bring fresh energy and tactical acumen to Pep Guardiola’s team.
Richard Dunne said: “I think it has a big effect on the dressing room. I think the fact players build up relationships, certainly with assistant coaches, they can tend to get closer to them because they’re not the ones making the big decisions in the end, so players trust them a little bit more, they give them a little bit more information. So it can have a major effect, obviously from a footballing point of view. But, yeah, it’s not something that you change lightly, I wouldn’t have thought. You don’t just wake up and think, right, it’s the assistants that have to go. He knows how to get inside, organise the energy that it took from Liverpool and maybe that’s something that’s that City missed this year, was just that little bit of energy, that bit of almost hunger and relentlessness in games.”
Lijnders is renowned for his role in helping Liverpool secure their sixth Champions League title in the 2018/19 season. His experience and tactical insights are seen as valuable assets to Manchester City, particularly in addressing the midfield challenges the team faced last season. The club’s decision to bring in Lijnders is seen as a strategic move to inject the much-needed energy and hunger that City seemed to lack at crucial moments.
Manchester City is set to compete in the Club World Cup, with their first group stage match against Moroccan side Wydad AC. They will also face UAE Pro League team Al-Ain and Serie A giants Juventus. Fans can catch all the action live and for free by signing up to DAZN, offering an exciting opportunity to witness Lijnders’ immediate impact on the team.
