Liverpool have a third assistant manager in as many seasons after seeing Giovanni van Bronckhorst take the reins from John Heitinga.

Heitinga did an excellent job backing up Arne Slot and Sipke Hulshoff in leading the Reds to the Premier League title last season.

However, Heitinga was destined for a manager’s job and ultimately could not resist the lure of a return to Ajax, whom he re-joined in May.

The former Netherlands international was not the only former Liverpool assistant on the move this summer, as Pep Lijnders took a surprise role at Manchester City.

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Having spent so many successful years as Jurgen Klopp’s number two at Anfield, seeing Lijnders move to title rivals City was a shock to many Liverpool supporters.

And, as he works with the Dutchman to knock Liverpool off their perch in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola has now explained his thinking behind bringing Lijnders to the Etihad.

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There was a mixed reaction at best to the news that Lijnders had joined City after failing to make the grade as a manager at Salzburg, among Liverpool fans anyway.

Some saw the former assistant’s move as a pure betrayal.

After so long with Klopp and Liverpool, how could he move to join the German’s biggest rival, both in a club and managerial sense.

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According to Guardiola, though, they should care because Lijnders is making City a better team after a disappointing campaign.

“This happened with Pep who I know for many, many years with Jurgen,” the Spaniard told Sky Sports.

“And I thought ‘okay, if you have been many, many years with Jurgen, this guy must be good!’ And after of course he’s been in Salzburg, had experience as a manager.”

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“We talked just one day and I said ‘I would like to [work with him].’ Sometimes decisions come from the feeling and I knew Liverpool played outstanding in the decade we have been together and I think he can give us something that we maybe didn’t have last season in terms of rhythm, intensity, in terms of another vision of football.

And with this one I think we needed one phone call and I said ‘okay, let’s do it and let’s go together.'”

One of the most surprising things about Lijnders joining City was that Guardiola’s team and Klopp’s Liverpool play completely different styles of football.

But, as Guardiola says, maybe that was all part of the appeal of trying something totally new.

Whatever happens, there will be plenty who claim this is of no interest to Liverpool fans and focus should instead be placed solely in what is going on at Anfield.

While that is true in part, it certainly is significant that a key figure in Liverpool’s recent success has shacked up at their biggest rivals over the period.

Although betrayal would be a rather strong word for what Lijnders has decided to do, those who feel aggrieved with his move are well within their rights to do so.
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