Liverpool are going to new lengths to achieve marginal gains under Jurgen Klopp this season.
Having joined up with the squad in pre-season, Dr Niklas Hausler and Patrick Hantschke of neuro11 have spoken openly about their work with the team this summer.
Using neuroscience, the pair aim to improve Liverpool ’s success from set-pieces by providing players with the right tools to stay mentally sharp.
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Speaking at length to James Pearce of The Athletic , the pair admitted there may be fans who doubt their work but Hausler outlined why it is beneficial to the Reds.
“This is the next frontier in athletic performance,” he said.
“The physical side in football has almost been maxed out. These guys are super fit. The next step really is to directly train the brain.
“When you have something new that promises big results people are always sceptical.
“But the starting point for explaining what we do is that we’ve all experienced either in sports or in daily life that sometimes we’re more in the flow, more in the zone, than at other times.”
Jurgen Klopp is well-known for seeking out marginal gains in his side’s efforts to win football’s major honours.
The Reds boss made headlines when he appointed Thomas Gronnemark as a throw-ins coach in 2018. Now, employing set-piece specialists is more commonplace.
Both Hantschke and Hausler travelled to Evian during Liverpool’s pre-season training camp and worked directly with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, among others, who were given tailor-made routines to follow, based on the data that was collected.
The German pair were praised by assistant coach Pep Lijnders , while their aim to have players take part in mental strength training appears to be paying off, with the Reds already having scored five league goals from corners this season .
“Liverpool have made us feel very welcome and there’s a nice working atmosphere at the club. Super professional but also a family feeling,” Hantschke told The Athletic .
“It was clear that Jurgen and his staff really trust us and that’s a big deal in order to deliver 100 per cent of our training,” Haulser continued.
"We were there [in Evian] for a couple of days and we put on a couple of sessions. We were able to show our true value.
“What defines elite players is that they are always able to see there’s room for improvement and that’s certainly the case with Liverpool.
“We owe a lot to Jurgen Klopp for the faith he’s shown in us. We want to keep repaying that with our work for Liverpool.“
