Liverpool have a completely different plan this season to last year, says Pep Lijnders

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Liverpool coach Pep Lijnders says the Reds have a different plan this season. Things won’t be the same as last year.

Liverpool have a ridiculous season last year as they played in every single possible game. They won both the EFL Cup and FA Cup, of course, while also reaching the Champions League final.

And to top it off, they took the Premier League title race to the final day. The fact that the entire first-team squad didn’t break down is a minor miracle, in all honesty.

It was a heavy season, one where Liverpool had to plan multiple games ahead and manage fitness for the long-term. They did it brilliantly, too, as shown by their remarkable success. They could have finished the season with four trophies – luck just went against them in the end.

But that was last season and as Pep Lijnders explains, Liverpool now have a very different plan. The ‘ironman’ ideas of 2021/22 no longer apply.

Liverpool plan for the season

“Last year felt like a marathon, or better probably an Ironman,” he told Liverpoolfc.com. “This one will probably be two sprints.

“So one sprint until the World Cup and then this real break – not a break for the national [players] – and then another towards the end of the season.

“What’s always important with a sprint is that you start fast.”

That is unquestionably the big, big difference this season. Every team is essentially playing until the World Cup in December when everything could change. It’s such a wild card that no one knows how things will be once the tournament finishes – you just need to get yourself in the best possible position.

So we completely understand where Lijnders is coming from. Liverpool must sprint to the World Cup and try to be in a strong position. Then they’ve got to hope that the cards fall their way afterwards as they again sprint to the finish line.

One thing in their favour, of course, is that Mohamed Salah won’t be at the tournament. Most world-class players will face exhaustion this season – as the Egyptian did with AFCON last term. This time, though, Salah will get a decent mid-season break and it could truly make all the difference for Liverpool.

Things certainly aren’t perfect with the mid-season World Cup but that’s at least one positive.