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Inside Liverpool's Marbella training camp and what they worked on in Spain
Jurgen Klopp's No. 2, Pepijn Lijnders, believes the time away could be key in how they attack the remainder of the campaign
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool have enjoyed a week away in the sunshine of Spain before returning for a crucial run of fixtures in both the Premier League and Champions League.
The Reds, who sit second in the league on goal difference with a game in hand on champions Manchester City, return to action with the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich on Tuesday before they head to Old Trafford for a clash with rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp's No. 2, Pepijn Lijnders, believes the time away could be key in how they attack the remainder of the campaign.
“I think the most important thing to come here is to focus on our ourselves, the way we play, our identity," he told the club's official website. "It’s nice because we train what we are good at. It’s important on giving these impulses because what you don’t train you lose.
“This change of scenery allows a start, allows more and new information to come in because it creates a different focus for the players. Reminding them that togetherness, legal aggressiveness, surprising opposition with our attitude and body language, helping each other everywhere on the pitch, chasing to shock them is the father and mother of our playing style.
“That’s No.1, and stays No.1. Because one per cent less in these aspects changes the whole ‘motor’ of our team. The feel that it is the start of the last third of the season.”
Klopp, Lijnders and the rest of the coaching staff have used the extra time afforded to them by not being in the FA Cup this weekend to drill down on just what it is that the side does best.
“Because we played every three days and we play so many games, your focus in those two days is [how] you can really work with the team, you focus on strategy, you focus on little tweaks to get the most out of it, to prepare for the next opponent,” he added.
“Now in this position here we can really focus on ourselves. On our way of play. On our intentions. Two plans. Plan number one: pressing the opposition from everywhere; plan number two: counter-pressing. And everything to prepare these two situations in the best way possible."
Check out the best photos from the Reds' week in Marbella in the gallery above
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