Written by Much was made last weekend of the age profile of the winners of the 2024 Carabao Cup Final (the “English Football League Cup” in old money – or maybe you remember it as The Milk Cup, The Coca-Cola or even the Worthington’s Cup). For those who missed it Liverpool, aka “Klopp’s Kids” in journalese, beat Chelsea (“billion-pound bottle jobs” in journalese) 1-0 after extra time. Pundits and journalists have made thousands of words of copy from the manner of the result.
Following a spate of injuries, Liverpool fielded a largely inexperienced team of squad players, supported by only a couple of regular first-teamers. As the game progressed, further injuries and fatigue led to substitutions of even more youthful and inexperienced players onto the Wembley pitch. The eleven players that finished the game for Liverpool, and lifted the cup, included an 18 year-old, two 19 year-olds, a 20 year-old and a 21 year-old. Danns (18) had played nine minutes of Premier Leagues football for the club, whilst Clark (19) had played 44 minutes. Unused substitutes included another 18 year-old, a 17 year-old and a 16 year-old. All for a Wembley final.
Whilst inevitably there was a focus on the players’ performance, and the confidence and bravery of the manager who threw them into the Final, I was drawn to the role, and the words, of Jurgen Klopp’s Assistant Manager. Pep Lijnders, pictured with the winning team below, was himself barely an adult when he entered the world of coaching. In 2002, at the age of 19, he began his career in player development on the coaching staff at PSV Eindhoven. Working for a number of clubs and under various managers in several countries, Lijnders arrived at Liverpool in 2014 – two years prior to Klopp. He has been instrumental in developing a methodology and culture at the club that extends down to the very youngest team (Under-9s) and up to the first team. It is this common approach that many observers cite as instrumental in enabling inexperienced young players to slot in and perform as a “break glass” solution, as was witnessed by football fans at Wembley on Sunday 25th February.
The relentless football season continues, and Liverpool beat Southampton 3-0 on 28th February – with the three goals scored by two 18 year-olds (the first time that has happened in the club’s history), one of whom was making his first team debut having been an unused substitute for the Final.
The common methodology is clear when watching the players play. What is less apparent is the underpinning culture. There is a strict wage cap for young players with the intention of them remaining grounded, and this extends to the forbidding of purchasing cars and other trinkets that are anything other than modest. The club emphasises that it is as likely that a player will be dropped for their attitude as it is for their ability. When players cross the white line, we don’t see all that, but the impact of such a culture is profound.
Finally, and what piqued my interest for this blog, were the words Lijnders spoke to reporters at the press conference several days before the Final itself. A sympathetic reporter asked, in the context of fixture congestion and a mounting injury list, whether Lijnders considered reaching the Final itself as a success. “Success is in growing.” He replied. “We focus on developing this team. We focus on bringing in young players and making older ones better….Success is a logical result of that.” It sounds deceptively simple, and we all know it is far from it. But Lijnders has coaching in his DNA. Coaching is about improvement and progress – from where we are to where we aspire to be.
Those “towards moves” as psychologists call them may be large strides or baby steps, but a coach will value them all – and see them as progress toward a better position. They are tangible measures of success. I am fortunate to work with an amazing coach for my own professional and personal development, and to work alongside school and trust leaders who themselves are highly skilled coaches. They generate improved performance amongst their colleagues that impacts in our schools every day, and I thank them sincerely for that.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Mike.
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