When the coach is doing a poor job, you replace his assistant
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Reading Time: 4min | Thu. 01.01.26. | 21:50
It seems that the policy of big clubs is to turn their attention elsewhere, rather than where it is actually needed
In modern football, top clubs are increasingly willing to step outside established frameworks when searching for solutions to their problems. The trend is no longer limited to player transfers — it now extends deeply into coaching structures, where even long-standing assistants and specialized staff are no longer untouchable. Fresh ideas, new perspectives, and outside expertise are becoming a priority, even if that means difficult decisions behind the scenes.
The summer of 2025 brought sweeping change to Manchester City, effectively closing the chapter on one of the club’s most successful eras. A long list of first-team pillars moved on — Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker, Ederson, Manuel Akanji and Jack Grealish all departed, leaving a visible gap both in leadership and identity. Yet the transformation went far beyond the dressing room.
Pep Guardiola was forced to rethink his entire backroom structure as well. Trusted lieutenants such as Juanma Lillo, Carlos Vicens, Carles Planchart and Inigo Dominguez all exited the club. Among them, Lillo’s departure struck a particularly emotional chord with Guardiola, who admitted: "Of course I miss Juanma. He is an incredibly important person in my life for many reasons and one of the best I have ever met," as he told the Spanish newspaper "Marca."
That context made Guardiola’s next move all the more intriguing. His new right-hand man became Pepijn Lijnders (42), best known as Jurgen Klopp’s long-serving assistant at Liverpool. Guardiola outlined the logic behind the appointment in candid terms: “I knew him from his time at Klopp and thought: If he worked with Jurgen for so many years, he must be good. I thought he could give us something we lacked last season in terms of pace, intensity and vision. One phone call was all it took. We got along incredibly well from day one.”
There’s an interview Pep gave during the Club World Cup where he spoke about Pep Lijnders.
— Geronimo Morgans (@GeronimoMorgans) January 1, 2026
He said Lijnders “opened his eyes” in a short period of time and that he’s been “drinking knowledge” from him, just as he has with his other brilliant assistants.
A lot of people take… pic.twitter.com/XrmgJZJf2Q
While Lijnders’ attempts as a head coach at NEC Nijmegen and RB Salzburg were short-lived, he has quickly found his rhythm again — this time as part of Guardiola’s inner circle.
Meanwhile, at Anfield, the calendar year ended with a significant staffing change of a different kind. Just days before New Year’s Eve, Liverpool confirmed their decision to part ways with Aaron Briggs (38), who had been tasked with overseeing set-piece routines under head coach Arne Slot (47).
It came as no real surprise that Liverpool have parted company with first-team set-piece coach Aaron Briggs, given the shocking returns from the department he has been fronting up this season.
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) December 31, 2025
The Premier League champions have conceded 12 times from dead-ball situations in the… pic.twitter.com/X9DMh7Udqz
The reasoning was hard to ignore. Liverpool’s struggles from dead-ball situations have reached alarming levels this season. The Reds have already conceded 12 goals from set pieces in the Premier League, including another from a corner during their 2–1 home victory over bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Statistically, that places them at the very bottom among teams in Europe’s top five leagues. Slot had voiced his frustration even before that match, stating: "With our record on set pieces, it's impossible to finish in the top four or five, let alone win the championship," before adding: "It's very frustrating that we're where we are this season, because halfway through last season we hadn't conceded a single goal from a set piece."
According to reports, Liverpool do not intend to appoint a direct replacement for Briggs in the immediate future. Instead, responsibility for set-piece preparation will now fall to the existing coaching group, led by Slot alongside his assistants Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 19
Tuesday
Burnley - Newcastle 1-3 (1-2)
/Laurent 23 - Joelinton 2, Wissa 7, Guimaraes 90+3/
Chelsea - Bournemouth 2-2 (2-2)
/Palmer 15 pen, Fernandez 23 - Brooks 6, Kluivert 27/
Nott. Forest - Everton 0-2 (0-1)
/Garner 19, Barry 79/
West Ham - Brighton 2-2 (2-1)
/Bowen 10, Paqueta 45+4 pen - Welbeck 32 pen, Veltman 61/
Arsenal - Aston Villa 4-1 (0-0)
/Gabriel 48, Zubimendi 52, Trossard 69, Jesus 78 - Watkins 90+4
Man. Utd - Wolverhampton 1-1 (1-1)
/Zirkzee 27 - Krejci 45/
Thursday
20.30: (2.25) Crystal Palace (3.35) Fulham (3.25)
20.30: (1.53) Liverpool (4.20) Leeds (6.25)
23.00: (2.35) Brentford (3.40) Tottenham (3.00)
23.00: (7.25) Sunderland (4.40) Man.City (1.45)
***odds are subject to change***
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