Bill Shankly and three-time European Cup winner – Liverpool’s best managers ever
Liverpool are a club steeped in rich history and tradition.
Their formation in 1892 came under a cloud of uncertainty as Everton departed Anfield for Goodison Park after a falling out with John Houlding.
After returning to the top division in the 1960s, the Reds took English football by the throat, going on to claim their 20th league title last season with triumph in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.
A select few managers changed the landscape of Liverpool Football Club for the rest of time, and brought the Reds to the position they are today, having conquered both English and European football.
Today, Liverpool News present some of the greatest managers in Liverpool’s history.
Bill Shankly
Liverpool, before Bill Shankly’s arrival in December 1959, were a complete mess.
The Reds were stuck in the second tier after relegation in 1954, constantly declining with little hope of returning to the First Division.
Up stepped the Scotsman, who got Liverpool promoted in 1962, before winning three league titles, as well as two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup.
Shankly stepped down in 1974, which came as a major shock and sadness to all Liverpool supporters, to whom he had a special relationship.
- Read more: Why Liverpool are nicknamed the Reds
Bob Paisley
Shankly was replaced by his assistant, Bob Paisley, who took all of the Scotsman’s brilliant work and transformed it into another level.
Paisley was able to amass a major trophy haul at Anfield, winning 20 major honours in just nine seasons at Anfield, including three European Cups.
The ex-Liverpool player brought the club to the top of the European stage and made both the Reds and England the dominant force during his spell.
Joe Fagan
Joe Fagan was next up in the Anfield hotseat, although he would not last as long as his predecessors.
Fagan was appointed in 1983, against his wishes, and carried on the Reds’ dominance in England and Europe in his first season, becoming the first manager of an English club to win a treble, winning the league, League Cup and European Cup in 1984.
Fagan almost won a second treble in a row in his second season, but was knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United in the semi-final, before finishing runners-up in the league and European Cup to Everton and Juventus respectively, before retiring in May 1985.
| Joe Fagan at Liverpool | Total |
| Wins | 70 |
| Draws | 37 |
| Losses | 24 |
Rafa Benitez
After a barren spell in the 1990s and early 2000s, Rafa Benitez was appointed to turn the Reds’ fortunes around.
Benitez may not have won many trophies at Anfield, but the trophies he did win built his legacy on Merseyside.
In 2005, his side performed a miracle comeback against AC Milan from 3-0 down to win the Champions League in Istanbul, Liverpool’s first since 1984.
The following year, Steven Gerrard stole the show to perform another comeback against West Ham United in the FA Cup final, winning on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
Benitez failed in his bid to win the Premier League before he was controversially sacked in 2010 after a seventh-placed finish.
Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool’s most recent legendary manager is Jurgen Klopp, as the German enjoyed a hugely successful eight-and-a-half-year stint at Anfield.
Klopp came into a side in disarray after years of reckless spending and poor recruitment, with the task of ending Liverpool’s wait for the Premier League title.
Klopp did just that in 2020, winning the league with a club record 99 points, and fans still believe he would have won more had Manchester City not been involved.
The German also won the Champions League in 2019, as well as an FA Cup and two League Cups, the last of which came dramatically in a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Wembley.
Klopp emotionally departed Liverpool in 2024, leading the way for Slot to begin his title-winning revolution.
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