Pep Lijnders is in full flow.



Liverpool’s articulate assistant manager is eulogising about the tempo and intensity of the training session he has just overseen at Melwood. These are the words of a coach with complete job satisfaction.



“The passion and ambition of these players is from another planet,” Lijnders tells The Athletic.



“Their self-confidence, their self-criticism, that is what makes us consistent. These boys have the ability to make even a simple rondo competitive.



“People talk about going game to game — no, we commit session to session. Small things make big things happen. You have to focus on doing the small things right constantly.



“The passion and ambition I see, especially on the rainy and windy days here, that for me is what separates us from the others.”



Over the course of two hours in his company, Jurgen Klopp’s trusted lieutenant provides a fascinating insight...