Liverpool aim to ‘achieve the impossible’, says Lijnders

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders says the Anfield club want to “achieve the impossible” as his players target winning four trophies this season.

Reds stars Dominik Szoboszlai and Diogo Jota have both gone public with their belief that Jurgen Klopp’s side can win the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.

Two seasons ago, Liverpool reached the cusp of a historic achievement when they lifted the FA Cup and League Cup while finishing as runners-up in the Premier League and Champions League.

Lijnders believes Szoboszlai and Jota’s upbeat assessments of Liverpool’s trophy chances underline the mentality and high standards within the squad.

“What’s not to like about Dom, huh? He just says it,” Lijnders said ahead of Liverpool’s League Cup fourth-round trip to Bournemouth on Wednesday.

“They have dreams, and who am I to stop them believing that we can achieve, or achieve the impossible?

“I don’t mind that they are saying it and they show their dreams, if you compete for Liverpool, that should always be there.”

Szoboszlai is part of a new-look Liverpool midfield, with fellow signings Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch helping to fill the void left by the close-season departures of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino.

“You cannot get a new Fabinho, a new Roberto Firmino, they are unique. You don’t get a new Henderson,” Lijnders said.

“You have to see what the qualities are. Take Ryan Gravenberch, we create spaces and dynamics for his qualities to shine.

“I feel this mixture we have found this season is nice and we have to prove each day to continue that, but with the values, the principles and the ideas of the past. That will never change.”

Lijnders, taking media duties instead of Klopp on Tuesday, also reiterated Liverpool’s support for Luis Diaz as the Colombian waits for news about his father’s kidnapping.

The Colombia winger has been given compassionate leave by liverpool after his parents were taken, with his mother subsequently released, in his homeland over the weekend.

“We try to support him now as much as we can,” Lijnders said. “As long as he knows that we’re doing all the right things and we pray. The whole club is behind him, he has that feeling then for me, it’s right.

“The authorities are doing everything. Everything we hear is that they’re trying everything, that’s the most important thing that his family are OK.”