'I would punch them in the face' - Jurgen Klopp's assistant Pep Lijnders explains how good times have returned to Liverpool behind the scenes

Lijnders, who has been with Klopp at Liverpool since 2018, has revealed how the Reds managed to turn things around swiftly in the ongoing campaign after a poor showing last season as they failed to win any trophy and missed out on a Champions League slot after finishing fifth in the Premier League.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the Liverpool assistant manager said, "I said as a joke that if anyone was negative in this building, I would punch them in the face. I said that to every single one of them. Just to make sure that we didn’t carry anything over.

"You do not want that negativity around. You are a product of your own environment. We [the coaches] work together and if you had three or four negative guys, everyone would be negative. If you have positive guys, the opposite. That is how the world works. It is important that I stay calm and give my honest view in a positive way. I can only speak for myself on that, but I always stay positive."

The Merseyside club are on a roll this season as they are three points clear at the top of the Premier League table. They knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup third round in their last match and are now eyeing a spot in the Carabao Cup final as they are set to face Fulham in the first leg of their semi-final clash on Wednesday.

After their midweek Carabao Cup semi-final clash, Klopp's side will next face Bournemouth in their second league game of 2024 on January 21.