Pep Lijnders’ dream Red Bull Salzburg move turning into a NIGHTMARE

After spending years on the sidelines as part of Jurgen Klopp’s backroom staff at Liverpool, Pepijn Lijnders moved on to start his own managerial career.

However, after 14 games at the helm of Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, it appears the cracks may already be starting to appear.

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While not having very much first-hand managerial experience, Lijnders has been in the game a fair while and having learnt from Klopp over the years, he was dubbed one of the most interesting young coaches, leading to Salzburg taking the gamble on the Dutchman.

However, while his youthful side started the season well, the noise around the club has increased significantly in recent weeks after a devastating couple of showings in the Champions League.

This is in contrast to Salzburg’s Bundesliga form, where they sit third in the table on 13 points, with four wins, one draw and one loss, with two games in hand on their closest rivals.

But while domestic success is essential, it seems the pressure is only growing on Lijnders given the club’s European ambitions are looking to fall flat, where they have been comprehensively defeated twice.

Outplayed in the Champions League

Despite having to enter the Champions League group phase through a qualification process, where the Bulls edged out Twente 5-4 across two legs and Dynamo Kyiv by a 3-1 scoreline, expectations were high for Salzburg this season.

And when the draw came around it looked as though the Austrian side could get off to a fast start against Slavia Praha and Brest, before a much more intimidating run of fixtures came along.

But Lijnder’s young and experienced side were outfought and outplayed, losing 3-0 away to the Czech side and then losing 4-0 at home to Brest – who are in their first-ever European campaign.

RB Salzburg’s 2024-25 Champions League

For ➡️ 26 shots, 2.1 xG, 0 goals
Against ➡️ 24 shots, 4.3 xG, 7 goals

A brutal start for the Austrian side. pic.twitter.com/hohoBHc9py

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) October 1, 2024

Now staring down the barrel of a disastrous campaign with fixtures against Dynamo Zagreb, Feyenoord, Leverkusen, PSG, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, all left in the club’s group phase, Lijnders is in a serious battle to not finish outside of the top 24 teams for the prospect of reaching the last 16.

Ex-Liverpool personnel receiving favourable treatment?

Alongside the departure of Lijnders from Liverpool was Bobby Clark who made the permanent move to Salzburg for £10million, and Stefan Bajcetic who was given the green light for a loan move this season.

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC – SEPTEMBER 18: Stefan Bajcetic of FC Red Bull Salzburg headshot, during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between AC Sparta Praha and FC Salzburg at Letna Stadium on September 18, 2024 in Prague, Czech Republic. Photo by Sebastian Frej AC Sparta Praha v FC Salzburg – UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1, Copyright: xSebastianxFrejx

However, the pair’s arrival has not been well received by the Salzburg faithful, with many left bemused when the duo were given their debuts in the Sparta Praha match, with insiders claiming there were a lot of people internally that were surprised about the starting eleven appointments.

Neither have set the pitch alight with their performances so far this season, but can hardly be blamed directly for the Austrian side’s disappointing showings.

But while the overall team personnel is young, the excuses are quickly wearing thin.

After the Brest defeat, Lijnders spoke to Kronen Zeitung and said: ” “I’m fed up with people calling us young. That’s no excuse.”

“One of their own” Alexander Schlager left sidelined

In addition to fans’ frustration about Clark and Bajcetic featuring in the team in poor performances, there has been much debate about goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.

Despite being injured for parts of this season, the goalkeeper has been sidelined for much of the season by Leipzig loanee Janis Blaswich, whom Lijnders seems to favour greatly.

When the player was brought in, Lijnders said: “Because of his personality, his ambitions, his presence in the dressing room. Everyone feels it when he sets foot on the pitch.”

However, this move has been considered to be very out of touch with the mood within the Salzburg faithful, who see Schlager as one of their own, who fully identifies with the club.

And yet the fan favourite has received little opportunity from Lijnders which is leading to growing frustration within the fanbase, alongside the disparity in performances and results.

While fans continue to show their disapproval of the team, the ex-Liverpool coach will quickly be feeling the pressure, and unless things improve quickly, it is unlikely the Dutchman will last too much longer in Austria.

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Thomas Clark

I’m Thomas Clark, from the ever-sunny Scottsdale, Arizona. At 47, my life’s not your usual nine-to-five grind; I’m the voice behind the screen at FC Soccer News. My days are a mix of passion and professionalism as I weave words for the love of the game. University of Arizona’s where I honed my skills, but the real education came from the hours spent in local cafes, my eyes glued to my laptop, and my mind playing the field.

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