Brendan Rodgers remains at the helm of Liverpool F.C. but he’s steering the Reds in a new direction following the arrivals of new lieutenants Sean O’Driscoll and Pepijn Lijnders.
Liverpool appointed O’Driscoll and Lijnders to Rodgers’ staff Monday as assistant manager and first team development coach, respectively, the club announced on its website. O’Driscoll and Lijnders are tasked with helping Rodgers implement his philosophy and improving Liverpool’s first-team players.
Rodgers explained why he brought O’Driscoll and Lijnders onto his staff.
“I have made these appointments because I want to take us in a new technical direction, in terms of coaching,” Rodgers said, according to LiverpoolFC.com. “I believe the entire first-team set-up will benefit and I am extremely positive and excited about what we can achieve, as a group, going forward.”
O’Driscoll’s and Lijnders’ arrivals follow the departures of Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh, whom Liverpool fired in June from their positions assistant manager and first-team coach, respectively.
O’Driscoll joins the Reds from England’s U-19 national team, which he managed for the last 10 months. He previously managed Bournemouth, Doncaster Rovers, Nottingham Forest and Bristol City during his 20-year coaching career.
O’Driscoll expressed his admiration for Liverpool’s history of playing attractive soccer.
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Liverpool promoted Lijnders’ from its academy where he oversaw the Reds’ U-16 team. Lijnders will work with both first-team and academy players in his newly created role.
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Rodgers, O’Driscoll and Lijnders began working with Liverpool’s players in earnest Monday. Time will tell if their methods have the desired effect at Anfield.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@LFCXtra
