Pep Lijnders will not stop Liverpool stars 'believing we can achieve impossible’

Two seasons ago the club very nearly did that, reaching three finals and winning two and just missing out on the Premier League title, and summer signing Dominik Szoboszlai said last week he was targeting all four trophies again.

Diogo Jota said similar after the weekend win over Nottingham Forest and Lijnders said that was an example of the mentality and high standards within the squad.

"What's not to like about Dom, huh? He just says it. It's also Scouse mentality to just say things," the Dutchman said ahead of the Carabao Cup last-16 trip to Bournemouth.

"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.

"What I like and the most important thing is, with Dom, you can say things but you have to show them, and show them not just in the game but on the training pitch, in Kirkby on a rainy day, when it's freezing.

"So far it's not November, December, January, February so he doesn't know yet, but what I see now is Dom has all of this."

Szoboszlai is part of a new-look midfield with fellow new signings Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch which have gelled seamlessly after the departures of long-time servants Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

The Hungary captain has made a significant impact but in recent weeks Gravenberch has also started to display his best form after a disappointing season at Bayern Munich, during which he barely featured, but it is the workings of the midfield unit as a whole which has impressed.

"You cannot get a new Fabinho, a new Roberto Firmino - they are unique. You don't get a new Henderson," Lijnders added.

"You have to see what the qualities are (of new signings). Take Ryan Gravenberch - we create spaces and dynamics for his qualities to shine.

"They can play free, that they can enjoy football because a happy guy plays better than a guy who just has to do what the coach tells them.

"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."

On fellow Dutchman Gravenberch, he added: "We see the Ryan of Ajax and that was already really impressive.

"A player who doesn't play a game in two weeks will never get confident. We all know a player with confidence and one without confidence is not the same player.

"I'm not sure what happened at Bayern but (he was) not playing, not (having) confidence. He comes here: full thrust.

"We knew the potential before because we wanted him back then and then we knew with training, with good conversations, with showing our idea and the clarity of the whole group, we had a special player.

"I'm happy when the team is a little bit more 'orange' as well."

READ MORE: Carlo Ancelotti could leave Real Madrid for Brazil job