Opinion and history from a Liverpool supporter.
Liverpool FC · 1959 onwards
The managers, the teams and the moments that shaped modern Liverpool. Start with a person, a season or a match. Follow a guided journey, or find your own way through the years.
Guided journey · 8 stops
Explore Paisley’s tenure through its Season records and published match reports, from 1974 to his Anfield farewell.
Guided journey · 9 stops
Follow Dalglish through his Liverpool league debut, European success and the first seasons of his player-manager years.
Guided journey · 7 stops
Follow the derby through published accounts of league encounters, cup finals and the 1985–86 season.
Guided journey · 8 stops
Follow the available writing from Anfield’s first European match through four European Cup finals, then explore the 2004–05 season.
1959–1974
From the Second Division to champions of England and UEFA Cup winners. Shankly rebuilt Liverpool and established the foundations for the decades that followed.
Also: Second Division, 1961–62.
1974–1983
Six league titles and three European Cups in nine seasons. Paisley turned Shankly’s foundations into sustained success at home and across Europe.
1983–1985
Fagan’s first season brought the league, European Cup and League Cup. Another Boot Room successor, he kept Liverpool at the summit of European football.
1985–1991First spell
A league and FA Cup double as player-manager, followed by the exhilarating Barnes, Beardsley and Aldridge side. Dalglish delivered three league titles in his first spell.
Also: Football League Super Cup, 1986.
1991Caretaker
A trusted Boot Room figure took temporary charge after Dalglish’s resignation. Moran held the team together while Liverpool sought a permanent successor.
No major honours during this tenure.
1991–1994
The 1992 FA Cup was the high point of a difficult period of change. Established champions gave way to a new generation as the Premier League began.
1994–1998Sole manager
Fowler and McManaman flourished in an adventurous Liverpool side. Evans restored attacking confidence and won the League Cup in his first full season.
1998Joint managers
A short experiment in joint management bridged two eras. Evans and Houllier shared responsibility before Houllier took sole charge in November.
No major honours during this tenure.
1998–2004Sole manager
Three cups in 2001 made Houllier’s rebuilding work tangible. A side shaped by Owen, Gerrard and Hyypiä returned Liverpool to regular European contention.
2004–2010
Istanbul in his first season, the FA Cup in his second. Benítez made Liverpool a formidable European side and later mounted a serious league challenge.
2010–2011
A brief and difficult tenure during upheaval at the club. Hodgson’s Liverpool struggled in the league, despite progressing from their Europa League group.
No major honours during this tenure.
2011–2012Second spell
Dalglish returned to steady Liverpool and brought silverware back to Anfield. The 2012 League Cup ended a six-year wait for a trophy.
2012–2015
A thrilling title challenge defined Rodgers’ time at Anfield. Suárez, Sturridge and a young attacking side took Liverpool to second place in 2013–14.
No major honours during this tenure.
2015–2024
European champions, world champions, then champions of England. Klopp’s pressing game and connection with supporters helped return Liverpool to the top.
2024–2026
Slot won Liverpool’s twentieth league title in his first season. His two-year spell began with a successful transition from Klopp’s team.
2026–presentCurrent head coach
Iraola arrived from Bournemouth in June 2026 to begin Liverpool’s next chapter, bringing an approach built around aggressive pressing and attacking football.
An era still taking shape.