Liverpool Managers

*Its sometimes stated that John McKenna was Liverpool's first manager, but he was a general manager under owner, John Houlding and not responsible for coaching. Notwithstanding, his contribution to the club was tremendous as it was under his guidance that they became a force in British football so soon after becoming established as a club.

Ronnie Moran and Phil Thompson have both served as caretaker managers for the club, however, as such, they will not be included in this article

John McKenna/W. E. Barclay: 1892 - 1896


John McKenna was the first manager and W. E. Barclay was the first coach of Liverpool.
Record:

1893/4 - Div. 2 Champions
1894/5 - Relegated from Div. 1

1895/6 - Div. 2 Champions


Tom Watson: 1896 - 1915


Tom Watson managed Sunderland (1889-96) where he won 3 league championships and joined Liverpool in 1896.
Record:

1900/1 - Div. 1 Champions
1905/6 - Div. 1 Champions

1913/4 - FA Cup Runners Up

Follow up:

David Ashworth: 1920 - 1923


David Ashworth, a former referee, succeeded Tom Watson as manager of Liverpool Football Club in 1920.

Record:
1921/2 - Div. 1 Champions

Liverpool were on their way to a second successive title in 1922/23 when Ashworth resigned in February, returning to his former club, Oldham, at the bottom of the table.


Matt McQueen: 1923 - 1928


An ex-liverpool player in the 1890's he was an all-rounder, playing in all eleven positions during his career, including 49 times as goalkeeper.
Record:

1922/3 - Div. 1 Champions
McQueen lost a leg in a road accident and was forced to retire in 1928.


George Patterson: 1928 - 1936


George Patterson was club secretary under Tom Watson and Matt McQueen before his promotion to manager in 1928.

In his time in charge Patterson brought Matt Busby, Phil Taylor and Arthur Riley to the club.
Liverpool failed to win anything under his management and he eventually retired in 1936 because of the pressure and stress associated with the job, and returned to his former position of club secretary.


George Kay: 1936 - 1951


Kay was responsible for signing legends such as Billy Liddell, Albert Stubbins and Bob Paisley.

Record:
1946/47 - Div. 1 Champions

1949/50 - FA Cup Runners Up


George Kay's famous 1950 team:

Click on image to enlarge


Don Welsh: 1951 - 1956


In 1954 Welsh became the first Liverpool manager to suffer relegation in 50 years of football, and became the only Liverpool manager to be sacked in 1956 after failing to earn promotion back to the top flight. Liverpool stayed in Division 2 for eight more seasons.


Phil Taylor: 1956 - 1959


Taylor played for Liverpool F.C. from 1936 to 1954 and was captain under Don Welsh.

He spent four years in charge at Anfield before making way for 'The Man' to take the helm in 1960.


Bill Shankly: 1959 - 1974


Record:
1961/2 - Second Division champions

1963/4 - First Division champions
1964/5 - FA Cup Winners, European Champions' Cup semi-finalists

1965/6 - First Division champions, European Cup Winners Cup runners-up
1968/9 - First Division runners-up

1970/1 - FA Cup runners-up, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup semi-finalists
1972/3 - First Division champions, UEFA Cup winners

1973/4 - FA Cup winners, First Division runners-up
After a great playing career, Shanks became a manager in 1949. After spells at Carlisle, Grimsby, Workington and Huddersfield, he arrived at Anfield in 1959. It took him 2 years to get the club bact to top flight, but then he changed everything.


My favorite Shankly quote:

He always said that Tom Finney (his team-mate at Preston) was the best attacking player he'd ever seen. One day, after Kevin Keegan had proved himself at Liverpool, a journalist said to Bill "Surely you'd have to admit that Keegan's every bit as good at Finney"
To which Shanks replied: "Aye, I suppose so, but you have to remember, Tom's 64 now"

Bob Paisley: 1974 - 1983


Record:
1974/75 - Div. 1 Runners Up, Charity Shield winners

1975/76 - Div. 1 Champions, UEFA Cup winners
1976/77 - FA Cup Runners Up, Charity Shield winners, Div. 1 Champions, European Cup winners

1977/78 - League Cup Runners Up, Div. 1 Runners Up, Charity Shield Shared
1977/78 - European Super Cup winners, European Cup winners

1978/79 - European Super Cup Runners Up, Div. 1 Champions
1979/80 - Charity Shield winners, Div. 1 Champions

1980/81 - League Cup winners, European Cup winners
1981/82 - Intercontinental Cup Runners Up, League Cup winners, Div. 1 Champions

1982/83 - Charity Shield winners, League Cup winners, Div. 1 Champions
1983/84 - Charity Shield Runners Up


Bob Paisley was the only possible replacement for Bill Shankly and kept the same vision for the 9 years of his tenure at Anfield. He went to Liverpool in 1939, at the age of 20 and stayed with the club for 44 years as a player, boot room boy, Shanky's right arm and then manager in 1974.

His record is unsurpassed in football.

Manager of The Year: 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983


Joe Fagan: 1983 - 1985


Record:
1983/84 - League Championship, League Cup, European Cup

1984/85 - League Championship Runner-up, European Cup Runner-up, Charity Shield Runner-up, European Super Cup Runner-up, World Club Championship Runner-up
He joined the coaching staff at Anfield in 1958, becoming Assistant Manager under Bob Paisley in 1974, before moving into the hot seat himself nine years later. In his first season as boss, he led the club to a unique treble of League title, European Cup and League Cup. He walked away from football in the aftermath of the Heysel tragedy in May 1985.


Kenny Dalglish: 1985 - 1991


Record:

1985/86 - Div. 1 Champions, F.A. Cup winners (Double)
1987/88 - Div. 1 Champions

1988/89 - F.A Cup winners
1989/90 - Div. 1 Champions

After a successful career as a player for both Celtic and Liverpool, Kenny Dalglish was given the moved into management in 1985. But Dalglish's playing days were not over, and as player manager he won the Double in his first season in charge.
Dalglish hung up his boots in 1987 at the age of 36. He signed John Barnes, Peter Beardsley and John Aldridge to help strengthen the Liverpool attack.

The tragedy of Hillsborough in 1989 deeply affected Dalglish and the pressure of top level management forced him to resign in February 1991.


Graeme Souness: 1991 - 1994


Record:
1991/92 - FA Cup

Souness seemed the obvious successor to Dalglish and enthusiastically took up the task of building a new Liverpool team.
However his time as manager at the club has become synonymous with mistakes, ill-judged media representation, poor transfer decisions and falling standards on the pitch. Mature reflection by Souness and the Club shows that in fact his mangership was not without success and his failures were not totally of his own making.

However, selling his story to the hated Sun newspaper on the anniversary of Hillsborough has left a bitter taste with most Liverpool fans.


Roy Evans:1994 - 1998


Record:
1994/5 - League Cup winners

When Kenny Dalglish resigned in 1991 Evans went on to become Graeme Souness's assistant manager and took over from the Scotsman when he left three years later.
Following several years of under-achieving and bad signings under Souness, Evans struggled to get Liverpool back to the top and the club brought in Gerard Houllier as joint manager at the start of the 1998/99 season. Although they got on well, the unusual role did not suit either man and Evans left the club in November 1998.


Gérard Houllier: 1998 - 2004


Record:

2000/01 - League Cup winners, FA Cup winners, UEFA Cup winners, European Super Cup winners, Community Shield winners
In 1998, aged 51, Houllier was invited to become joint team manager (together with Roy Evans) of Liverpool F.C. Unfortunately, the arrangement did not work well and Evans resigned a few months later, leaving Houllier in sole charge of the team.

In 1999 he began a programme to rebuild the team, allowing big name stars like Steve McManaman, Paul Ince and David James to leave and engaging the services of a clutch of continental players from overseas, mainly from France, instead. Restructuring the team took a couple of years but eventually resulted in the extremely successful 2000-01 season, when Liverpool won the Worthington Cup (League Cup), the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup, as well as finishing third in the English Premier League, and attaining the European Super Cup and the Community Shield at the start of the following season.
In October 2001 he was rushed to hospital for an eleven-hour emergency operation when he suffered a dissected aorta; he returned to active management of the club after five months, but many Liverpool fans felt that he was never quite as effective a manager afterwards.

A lack of success in later seasons, coupled with what were considered negative tactics and unattractive football, and a lack of support from fans, led to Houllier's departure from Liverpool F.C. on 24 May 2004. He left by mutual consent with the club. One year later, on 25 May 2005, a Liverpool team containing many of Houllier's players won the UEFA Champions League under new manager Rafael Benitez.


Rafael Benítez: 2004 - Present


Record:
2004/5 - Champions League winners

Benítez's great skill is his ability to develop teams where the defenders go forward and the forwards defend. Observers have also noted his ability to turn a promising squad of individuals into an efficient team of winners.
He has achieved success at both Valencia CF and Liverpool with mainly inherited squads. Of the fourteen players used in the UEFA Champions League final, twelve were at Liverpool when Benítez arrived.

He has also developed an eye for spotting talented players such as Mista, Curro Torres, Luis García and Mohamed Sissoko. Benítez also favours a strict rotation policy to keep his side fresh and the players on their toes.


Best Manager: Bill Shankley
Most Successful Manager: Bob Paisley

Longest Tenure: George Kay/ Bill Shankley (15 years)
Shortest Tenure: Joe Fagan (2 years)

Worst Manager: Don Welsh



Sources: LFC Online

Wikipedia
Liverpool Iceland