Lijnders: Our main principles will never change
First-team development coach Pepijn Lijnders insists Liverpool's approach to every game will stay true regardless of the opponent.
The Reds have had great success against the top teams under manager Jürgen Klopp, taking down Chelsea and Manchester City and matching Arsenal on Wednesday night by forcing their rivals to give up possession.
And Lijnders believes that while slight tactical tweaks are necessary heading into every match, the high pressing style of a Klopp side will be present against Manchester United at Anfield today as always.
“The main principles of our game model will never change,” he told Liverpoolfc.com. “We will always press the opponent intensely and constantly.
“Always taking space away from their best player, always trying to double mark or defend certain players and areas of the pitch. Those things will never change.
“Of course, the small things will change. The confrontation of structures is different.
“We have to find our way again to create the right strategy. Where do they leave space? What are they trying to do and how can we take that away? Where can we create advantages?”
It has been a hectic few months for the Reds, playing a number of games in quick succession with fewer than 48 hours to prepare and recover for certain matches.
But the coach is not willing to use the busy period as an excuse and believes it’s their job to ensure the side are ready to face Louis van Gaal’s men this afternoon.
He added: “It’s about making them as fresh as possible and recover as well as possible. Not only in the legs, of course.
“Players get used to it [many games in a short space of time]. That accumulates fatigue, though, as well, so that’s difficult.
“Your decision-making gets different, that’s why players at the end of games play differently.
“You have to not only focus on yourself, but you have to focus on the movements of the colleagues in how to create space and how we want to do it.
“Normally you need 72 hours to fully recover to be fresh but luckily we have a group with big heart.
“We know this and that we only have two days and less time to make them [the players] really fresh to start the game. That influences part of the strategy, of course.
“We will be prepared, we will have our strategy. We will make sure Anfield gets the game it deserves and there’s nothing better than beating Manchester United! It’s a big game.”