Finally - greatest ever LFC manager

Had a few requests to add a manager to take charge of our greatest ever team.  Throw in your votes.

Roy Hodgson should have been on the list...only for Kenny Dalglish and the rest in the dream team to tell him how to actually manage a football team...and how to be honourable and dignified in the process.

No woy?

No woy?

Some people are just too great to be listed.

Who gives a twt about Woy.

Took me two seconds to think and choose.

Rafa.

Wow. Tough question.  Personally I chose Paisley. It was between him and Dalglish. Not ignoring Shankly but, I believe Paisley was a better Mgr and overall leader. He accomplished more 6 league Titles and 3 European Cups. He had to take over from one of the greatest Mgr's in the history of English Football, not just Liverpool' greatest mgr. He was an old school manager in the begining of the modern game and holds the record for winning a trophy every 26 matches. I think many will agree that he had a better all around football mind than Shankly. I read that the "Boot Room" was Bob's idea and he led the discussions and formed their tactics, which Shankly implemented. He never won the FA Cup but compared to 3 European Titles, who cares. He has a higher win pct than Shankly.

I'm sure we can debate this and the poll will officially settle the debate. But IMO Paisley was the greatest Liverpool manager of all time.

Took me two seconds to think and choose.

Rafa.

Can't be arsed with the wind up

Chose Kenny. First LFC memory is the pens win against Roma. After that the 86 double followed by extreme obsession and shock when he quit. All of my first, good LFC memories were mostly managed by Kenny. I didn't put him in my team, mad I know, so he goes in as my manager. If I think back to how that late 80s team played under him then I'm sure my team would flourish under him.

No woy?

That's Saint Roy to you, thank you very much.

Well this is a very difficult one, many ways of looking at it - but if there was no Shankly, there likely wouldn't be anyone else here on this list.

It's got to be him - I'll go for the pure symbolism of it all.

Just look at Sir Bob's record he is not only Liverpools greatest but footballs greatest. Shankly is in Sir Bob's dna so its a vote for them both but again look at the managers on that list and then we picked f***in Woy and..... but now were back on track.

Bob Paisley

Sir Robert Paisley.

Has to be Mr Bob Paisley, the most successful manager in the history of Liverpool football club.

Shankly. He is to Liverpool like St Peter is to the Vatican.

If it hadn't been for Shankly, there wouldn't have been a platform for Bob, Joe and Kenny to build their legends, and when you think about the success he had himself its an easy choice fire me.
Must note that Kenny is my favourite manager though.

It all started with Shanks in 1959.

The culture,  the Kop, the songs , the pass and move the first European nights .........   it was all down to Shankly .

He brought us up from the old second division and within a couple of years we were winning the league , bagging our first FA Cup and playing the European nights.

The rest as they say is history. Our history.

Shanks started it all and Bob continued the legacy taking us on to great heights.


There would be no temple without first the foundations.


Shanks.

Bill no question. I build the base for other managers as well. I read his autobiography and he was not a Scouser but he loved Liverpool with his life. The board should have gave him some sort of job after he retired.

Throughout this I've voted for people I've seen. Not here. Shanks deserves the recognition, without him we may not even have this forum to be voting in the first place.

Boby Paisley for me, based solely on what he achieved trophy wise.

Ronnie Moran coach/assistant manager.

The only Roy that should be mentioned in here is a certain Mr Evans, who nurtured our biggest crop of youth team players into the first team that I can remember.

Paisley for me. Shanks was undoubtedly a great manager, but Bob imo took us to a new level, changed our style of play and brought us unprecedented success. Close enough to be siamese twins but Bob just edges it.

My top three

Paisley
Shankly
Dalglish
 

Paisley for me. Shanks was undoubtedly a great manager, but Bob imo took us to a new level, changed our style of play and brought us unprecedented success. Close enough to be siamese twins but Bob just edges it.

My top three

Paisley
Shankly
Dalglish
 

I'd agree with that but I've tried to go with personal experience as much as I could.

Took me two seconds to think and choose.

Rafa.

Same mate 'Sir Bob'

YNWA

Bob Paisley all day long. The greatest manager ever seen in the English game. Took Shanks' inspiration to dizzy new heights and made Liverpool FC the monster we all look back fondly on. Did more as a manager in 9 seasons with LFC than 99.9% of managers will EVER achieve.

Paisley for me. Shanks was undoubtedly a great manager, but Bob imo took us to a new level, changed our style of play and brought us unprecedented success. Close enough to be siamese twins but Bob just edges it.

My top three

Paisley
Shankly
Dalglish
 

Without a shadow of a doubt, I'd put Rafa on the end too irrespective of his relatively short time here no thanks to Herpes & Gonorrhoea,
I think most us would agree that had he remained he would have brought us further glory.....

Paisley
Shankly
Dalglish
Rafa...
And hopefully Jürgen in a few yrs time?


YNWA

Bob Paisley - our greatest ever manager. Built a football team that did his talking for him.

Without a shadow of a doubt, I'd put Rafa on the end too irrespective of his relatively short time here no thanks to Herpes & Gonorrhoea,
I think most us would agree that had he remained he would have brought us further glory.....

Paisley
Shankly
Dalglish
Rafa...
And hopefully Jürgen in a few yrs time?


YNWA

I think you would have to put Fagan in front of Rafa mate. He won more in his first season than Rafa did in 6 years

Shanks.

Love Bob to death and he definitely took us up a level - the first LFC boss I remember.

Bob perfected the symphony but Shanks gave the world headphones. Before Billy everything was black and white.

As Bowie said......"...till there was rock you only had God..."

Miro-spot on mate.

Even tho i agree..

Sir Bob gets my vote.

Bob Paisley - 20 trophies in 9 seasons and many of them were pretty important ones. He built on great foundation established by Shankly, but if he wasn't great manager himself Liverpool FC might not maintain Shanks success and ethos. He had probably the most difficult job in football in those days - to keep the work of absolute legend, and he did it perfectly.

It has to be Bill Shankly,he had the nouse to keep Bob Paisley on the staff,different to managers of today who have a mass clear out when they take over a club.He also had the nouse to keep Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran,Roy Evans and the lad who was a first class scout for us for many years Geoff Twentyman.He brought a dying club to life and gave us supporters hope for the future.Bob Joe and Kenny were brilliant managers in their own right but Shanks brought a dying club to life and deserves to be named the best.

Sir Bob for me
Such a quiet man ,He let the players do his talking on the pitch

Shanks started it all though and Bob took it to giddy heights

Why do people always say "only for Shanks" nobody knows how it would have turned out had Bob got the job in 59.

Why do people always say "only for Shanks" nobody knows how it would have turned out had Bob got the job in 59.

You evidently were not around in the 1950s when we were in the old 2nd division Brian,Anfield was not a happy place in those days.Shankly arrived in December 1959 and the club came to life.Bob was the bucket and sponge man in those days.You can't compare what could of been it is like saying if Kenny Dalglish had still been playing 3 seasons ago we would of won the league.As someone who saw Bob as a player,trainer,coach and manager of this club I would never detract what Bob achieved for L.F.C.

You evidently were not around in the 1950s when we were in the old 2nd division Brian,Anfield was not a happy place in those days.Shankly arrived in December 1959 and the club came to life.Bob was the bucket and sponge man in those days.You can't compare what could of been it is like saying if Kenny Dalglish had still been playing 3 seasons ago we would of won the league.As someone who saw Bob as a player,trainer,coach and manager of this club I would never detract what Bob achieved for L.F.C.

Billy, there is absolutely no doubt that Shanks built Liverpool football club up from the dark days of the second division to where we are now, I don't think anybody is questioning how pivotal he was, it is a fact that if it weren't for him Christ knows where we'd be today,
From the history books the then chairman had made a visit to Huddersfield town FC where Shanks was employed at the time, he turned them down first time, but thankfully he eventually crossed the Pennines and the rest his history,
Bill Shankly was a brilliant manager, the best of his generation I would guess, he was unique , a one off, Jock Stein was another,
However, the question is, who was our best manager,  I think to find out who was you would have to look at the success the manager had, perhaps had Shanks not decided to retire when he did he could of had as much success as Bob had,
I'm to young to remember Bill Shankly in his prime, but I love the man, i loved his passion, how he used psychology to get the best out of his players, everything about the great man that has been written, spoke of , is awe inspiring, my Granddad was very similar to Bill, he had the same socialist views which by the way have passed down the family line, anyhoo,

I'm not sure if you are a reader Billy, but I've read "Red or Dead by Ian Peace, if anybody wants a bit of insight to what Shanks was like its a must read,

Getting back on topic , I appreciate your knowledge of our club Billy, I have the upmost respect for your education about our past,but for me Bob Paisley takes pole position .




YNWA

Bob

Sir Bob for me.

Like the players we have had, the managers are also on the "wow we have been blessed!" list.

It has to be between Shankly and Paisley. I have to pick one so it would have to be Shankly. Paisley achieved so much fantastic success and will forever be known as not just ours, but the most successful managers of all time. However, the question is, would he have had that had Shankly not put everything in place first?

When Shankly took over, Liverpool were in the old second division and going nowhere fast. He not only turned them around, the success he had in his own right is breathtaking. Title after title, all due to his confidence, his training methods, his man management, his ability to spot the right players for the job, and his ability to keep consistency throughout the whole club. He started all this from nothing. When people say he set the foundation, this is what is meant, he put everything in place, so that when Paisley took over, there were no problems at all as everything was in place.

So for me, Shankly would be the manager in charge.

Bob Paisley.

I'd go with Bob Paisley only because of the team that has been named. Shanks and Rafa both built a team from lower beginnings, whereas Kenny, Fagan and Bob all had great sides to begin with and Bob was the most successful. I reality with that team I'd put them all in the boot room, along with Beerbelly  '....because he gets this club'.

Billy, there is absolutely no doubt that Shanks built Liverpool football club up from the dark days of the second division to where we are now, I don't think anybody is questioning how pivotal he was, it is a fact that if it weren't for him Christ knows where we'd be today,
From the history books the then chairman had made a visit to Huddersfield town FC where Shanks was employed at the time, he turned them down first time, but thankfully he eventually crossed the Pennines and the rest his history,
Bill Shankly was a brilliant manager, the best of his generation I would guess, he was unique , a one off, Jock Stein was another,
However, the question is, who was our best manager,  I think to find out who was you would have to look at the success the manager had, perhaps had Shanks not decided to retire when he did he could of had as much success as Bob had,
I'm to young to remember Bill Shankly in his prime, but I love the man, i loved his passion, how he used psychology to get the best out of his players, everything about the great man that has been written, spoke of , is awe inspiring, my Granddad was very similar to Bill, he had the same socialist views which by the way have passed down the family line, anyhoo,

I'm not sure if you are a reader Billy, but I've read "Red or Dead by Ian Peace, if anybody wants a bit of insight to what Shanks was like its a must read,

Getting back on topic , I appreciate your knowledge of our club Billy, I have the upmost respect for your education about our past,but for me Bob Paisley takes pole position .




YNWA

Billy, the chairman of the club who was responsible for Bill Shankly signing for L.F.C. was T.V. Williams.He deserces credit for that and backing Bill Shankly in the transfer market.In fact he deserves credit for keeping the likes of Phil Taylor,Bill Jones Bob Paisley at the club who were all good players as well.

Without stating the obvious Brenda isn't listed !?
He nearly    took us to things.

Dont mention Red Imps . Its dem Celtic fairies.

Without stating the obvious Brenda isn't listed !?
He nearly    took us to things.

Dont mention Red Imps . Its dem Celtic fairies.

Yeah, we have become the nearly club now. Jürgen nearly won us a couple of cups, Brendan nearly won us the league and Roy nearly got us relegated (he would have succeeded given more time)

... and Roy nearly got us relegated (he would have succeeded given more time)

 

Billy, the chairman of the club who was responsible for Bill Shankly signing for L.F.C. was T.V. Williams.He deserces credit for that and backing Bill Shankly in the transfer market.In fact he deserves credit for keeping the likes of Phil Taylor,Bill Jones Bob Paisley at the club who were all good players as well.

Yes Billy you are of course correct, T.V. Williams does indeed deserve alot of credit, wasn't Phil Taylor the manager prior to Shanks, I'm sure that's correct Billy but please correct me if I'm wrong,

some are saying that Bob and Kenny inherited winning sides when they became manager,that's true but they also built their own sides too and incorporated their own influences upon them, both were former player's of course and Bob in particular has just about held every post there is, so it could be argued that Bob put a wee bit more in than Shanks did, but I'm not!


YNWA

Yes Billy you are of course correct, T.V. Williams does indeed deserve alot of credit, wasn't Phil Taylor the manager prior to Shanks, I'm sure that's correct Billy but please correct me if I'm wrong,

some are saying that Bob and Kenny inherited winning sides when they became manager,that's true but they also built their own sides too and incorporated their own influences upon them, both were former player's of course and Bob in particular has just about held every post there is, so it could be argued that Bob put a wee bit more in than Shanks did, but I'm not!


YNWA

Billy,Phil Taylor was indeed the manager prior to Bill Shankly,he took over from Don Welsh who had taken us down to the old 2nd division.He was acting manager and later made full time manager.He had an outstanding international career and as I have previously stated was a good footballer.
 Bob Paisley,I have already stated was a fantastic footballer and was fully committed out on the pitch,I used to love watching him play.We made one hell of a mistake dropping him for the 1950 F.A.Cup final against Arsenal after he had scored in the semi final to knock Everton out.Any other player would of walked  but not Bob and it was lucky for L.F.C.that he did not walk.

Billy,Phil Taylor was indeed the manager prior to Bill Shankly,he took over from Don Welsh who had taken us down to the old 2nd division.He was acting manager and later made full time manager.He had an outstanding international career and as I have previously stated was a good footballer.
 Bob Paisley,I have already stated was a fantastic footballer and was fully committed out on the pitch,I used to love watching him play.We made one hell of a mistake dropping him for the 1950 F.A.Cup final against Arsenal after he had scored in the semi final to knock Everton out.Any other player would of walked  but not Bob and it was lucky for L.F.C.that he did not walk.

This what I love about this club, and the forum, we get posters like your good self Billy that have walked the walk and have actually witnessed with their own eyes events that have happened in our clubs history,
Time stops for no man, so for most of us we only get to read or watch stuff about our history, so for me it's particularly appreciative to converse with someone who was part of that history, albeit if only as a supporter,  it doesn't matter, you were there!

In regards to Bob missing out in that cup final Billy, isn't that the reason Souness as captain sent him up the Wembley steps all those years later,
Further proof if needed the regard players and fans alike has for 'Sir Bob'

YNWA

Shankly. He is to Liverpool like St Peter is to the Vatican.

But who is Jesus?

It has to be Bill Shankly,he had the nouse to keep Bob Paisley on the staff,different to managers of today who have a mass clear out when they take over a club.He also had the nouse to keep Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran,Roy Evans and the lad who was a first class scout for us for many years Geoff Twentyman.He brought a dying club to life and gave us supporters hope for the future.Bob Joe and Kenny were brilliant managers in their own right but Shanks brought a dying club to life and deserves to be named the best.

I agree with this whole heartedly. Bob was the most successful manager no doubt, but would he have been able to achieve all he did, if he had taken on the club, when it was in the state that Shanks took it on.
There's never been a manager anywhere in world football that I have heard of, who built a club that was a complete shambles, into the dynasty that it became. Completely out on his own. No comparisons anywhere.

I agree with this whole heartedly. Bob was the most successful manager no doubt, but would he have been able to achieve all he did, if he had taken on the club, when it was in the state that Shanks took it on.
There's never been a manager anywhere in world football that I have heard of, who built a club that was a complete shambles, into the dynasty that it became. Completely out on his own. No comparisons anywhere.

I am not sure if my memory is playing tricks but I am sure both Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan did not initially want the managers job when first offered to them.Thank God they both changed their minds and took the job.The rest as they say is history.

But who is Jesus?

He played inside right alongside Ian StJohn

I can't vote until I see Woy on the list. Sorry. 

I can't vote until I see Woy on the list. Sorry. 

To find Woy you need to look at the failed England managers list,it is preferable not to have the tw*t on successfull L.F.C. managers list.

Love all of them names. Esp. Kenny, But BOB was the best simply because of the massive success he had, but tbf Shanks set that up. The rest carried it forward.

I am not sure if my memory is playing tricks but I am sure both Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan did not initially want the managers job when first offered to them.Thank God they both changed their minds and took the job.The rest as they say is history.

Bob Paisley really didn't want the job and had to be persuaded he didn't do too badly and Joe did ok too.

Sir Bob Paisley. No two ways about it. There may have been managers of more style but none of more substance.

Not an issue with the sentiments towards the title of "Sir Bob" as it shows the devotion and love towards the man here - but, hey, he's well beyond some paltry useless award that has been given to the likes of Jimmy Savile, Norman Bettison, Fred Goodwin etc.

Let's call him a saint - that his true status!

Let's call him a saint - that his true status!

I prefer Genius.

He just knew football.

I prefer Genius.

He just knew football.

we already have a "Saint" and we have a"God" and of course the "miracle of Istanbul" .
Sir Bob clearly new all there was about football but I reckon he knew just as much about people too.

Shanks. Took us from the margins to winners, built the foundations, simple principles, no nonsense.

https://twitter.com/LFChistory/status/757920780852178944

He protected Shanks foundation, has kept great work, established Liverpool domestic and Europe domination. What a legend.

https://twitter.com/LFChistory/status/757966387109388288

https://twitter.com/LFChistory/status/757920780852178944

He protected Shanks foundation, has kept great work, established Liverpool domestic and Europe domination. What a legend.

https://twitter.com/LFChistory/status/757966387109388288

How did we manage in those days with only 1 sub and no big squads,oh thats right we had a reserve team who knew what was required of them when needed.Back to Bob he never ever let this club down from player to manager and as advisor to Kenny.

Bob was the most successful manager no doubt, but would he have been able to achieve all he did, if he had taken on the club, when it was in the state that Shanks took it on.

The reds had finished 3rd, 4th, 4th in the previous three seasons before Shanks came in - yes they were having a tough time in 59/60 going backwards but we just don't know what Paisley would have done. 

They are clearly two outstanding managers - Shanks was manager of my all time LFC XI but I can completely understand why the majority gave it to Bob.

The reds had finished 3rd, 4th, 4th in the previous three seasons before Shanks came in - yes they were having a tough time in 59/60 going backwards but we just don't know what Paisley would have done. 

They are clearly two outstanding managers - Shanks was manager of my all time LFC XI but I can completely understand why the majority gave it to Bob.

Ditto me JD.

What a great quandary.........the man who perfected it or the man who built the greatest footballing dynasty these islands have seen.....?