Leicester City, a squad of Premier League caliber, will be Liverpool’s opponent in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, according to assistant Pep Lijnders.
The Championship leaders will go to Anfield for a third-round matchup, where they appear to be vying for an instant return to the top level under new manager Enzo Maresca.
We know we’re going to play against a team that has a lot of individual quality, Lijnders remarked during the pre-game press conference after Jurgen Klopp stepped down.
“It demonstrates their performance in the league. A very distinct offensive game plan was quickly implemented by coach Enzo, who performs an amazing job. They could all play in the Premier League, in my opinion.
We will have a tremendously difficult job controlling their main players while also applying pressure to them. In every game, we shall keep our attention on ourselves.
Of course we’ll make adjustments, but first we want to set up our strategy, establish dominance, and occupy their half of the field.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who Lijnders said “looked outstanding” on his comeback to training on Monday after suffering a hamstring injury, will have to wait too long to play.
Thiago Alcantara, a midfielder who has yet to play this year, is back on the field but is working alone this time.
Ben Doak, a 17-year-old winger who began the Europa League game in Linz last week, may have another opportunity.
When assessing Doak’s potential, Lijnders referred to his Dutch ancestry and said: “He is young so a lot of things can happen.
“I had the good fortune to grow up in Holland, where there is a longstanding Johan Cruyff tactical culture. The wingers’ ability to create, seriously disorganize the opposition, and use their pace makes this approach appealing.
Then, if you find a young Scottish winger who is only 17 years old and has the ability to create and to
“Ben’s advantage, in my opinion, is that he enters a squad with such a high level of senior authority. The boys will already inform him that he will never sidestep.
He possesses a fantastic low gravity, which helps him control the ball more effectively. He’s a pretty interesting talent, but he still has a long way to go. He needs to grow up and pay attention to Robbo (Andy Robertson), Mo Salah, and the other people who are trying to mentor him.
“And I believe that having young players with this passion is incredibly important for the older guys. We’ve always had that combination, and that’s how we want to put the squad together.
