Pep Lijnders’ time at Red Bull Salzburg seems to be going from bad to worse.
The debate surrounding Lijnders’ future as a top manager has certainly been a hot topic in recent weeks. Salzburg currently sit fourth in the Austria Bundesliga table, which for club that has won 17 league titles, it does sound alarm bells.
The arrival of Jurgen Klopp into the Red Bull framework could give the Dutchman a much needed ally but he may not be around for it to happen.
To make matters worse Salzburg once again have had an extremely difficult weekend.
Lijnders dismissed
Salzburg were held to a goal-less draw against newly-promoted side Grazer AK, meaning the failed to progress higher up the table.
Following a confident 3-0 victory over WSG Tirol in the OFB Cup midweek, Lijnders’ squad had hoped to carry that momentum forward.
However, against Graz, they slipped back into familiar struggles. Their performance was marked by a lack of both goals and creative play, with the team struggling to find a spark to break through GAK’s defence
The fact that they couldn’t score and were held to a goalless draw against bottom of the league at home, a side who conceded six more goals than anyone else in the Austrian Bundesliga this season, is another embarrassing result for the former Liverpool boss.
To make matters worse, not only were RB playing with ten men for 45 minutes they were also playing without their manager.
Lijnders was also sent-off in the 79th minute after receiving two successive yellow cards for criticising the referee’s performance and was sent down the tunnel.
The Dutch coach will more than likely miss his side’s next league fixture against Blau-Weiss Linz.
What does this mean for Lijnders?
Results have not been kind in Lijnders’ first few months in charge of a club which is expected to not only dominate the domestic league, but challenge to reach the knockout stages of European competitions as well.
This latest stalemate is another frustrating result for Lijnders. Salzburg fans are unhappy with the results under Lijnders, but have also slammed his playing style, according to new survey conducted by Salzburg24
Fans have been turning their backs on Lijnders and his team in their droves, with high-profile Champions League games still only attracting 20,000 fans to the stadium.
After a disappointing stint in charge of NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Lijnders is undoubtedly eager to demonstrate his capability as a first-team manager. However, judging by his initial months in charge, it’s clear there’s still significant work ahead.
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