• You may have to login or register before you can post and view our exclusive members only forums.
    To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

The greatest manager ever

Status
Not open for further replies.

My_Blood_Bleeds_Red

Well-Known
Member
Bob Paisley: How Liverpool's reluctant hero began a revolution

By Russell Stoddart BBC Sport
When Liverpool begin their Premier League campaign against Southampton on Sunday, manager Brendan Rodgers will be attempting to build on last season's second-placed finish.
But whatever Rodgers achieves at Anfield, he is unlikely to surpass the feats of Bob Paisley, who took charge of Liverpool in the league for the first time exactly 40 years ago, with a 2-1 win at Luton on 17 August 1974.
In his nine seasons in charge, Paisley won six league titles, three European Cups, three League Cups, a Uefa Cup, Super Cup and three Charity Shields. He was also manager of the year on six occasions - an honour won by Rodgers for the first time last season.
Paisley's 45 years as a player, physiotherapist, coach, assistant manager, manager and director is a unique example of loyalty to one club. Here, we look back at the career of one of the great managers.
_76926750_pa-407857.jpg

Paisley spent his entire professional playing career at Liverpool
The reluctant genius

There is no knighthood on the family mantelpiece or statue outside Anfield to commemorate one of Liverpool's true legends, but Paisley was never one for personal plaudits or making a fuss.
Long-time Liverpool secretary Peter Robinson described having a "frightful time" trying to persuade Paisley to take over the managerial reins following the departure of predecessor Bill Shankly, who had claimed three league titles, two FA Cups and two Uefa Cups over 15 seasons after taking over in 1959.
When Paisley took his first training session after his appointment, he told a shocked dressing room that he was "only looking after the shop until a proper manager arrives".
Record appearance holder Ian Callaghan, who played in midfield for the club between 1960 and 1978, said: "Bob was very reluctant to become manager because he didn't think he was cut out for it. He was an introvert and preferred being in the background.
"I think we all had to adjust. He'd always been known as simply 'Bob'. It was Shanks who was 'boss', and it took time to change.
"Shanks was a one-off, but Bob was a one-off too and he found ways of making a great club even greater."
_76979449_paisley-callaghan-getty.jpg

Paisley guided Liverpool to their first European Cup win, beating Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in 1977
Shankly v Paisley

These two greats were entirely different characters with different strengths, but they complemented each other.
Paisley biographer John Keith, who has written and produced a 40th anniversary tribute show that will be staged at New Brighton's Floral Pavilion on 12 September, said: "Bob once remarked that while Shanks wore steel tips on his shoes so people knew he was coming, he preferred to wear carpet slippers.
"When Bob took over he called some of the press into his office and explained he was not very good at saying what he meant, and gave permission for us to finish off his sentences for him."
Left-back Alan Kennedy, who scored winning goals in two European Cup finals under Paisley, said that he had a ruthless streak that Shankly never had.
He said: "Bob learned a lot from Shanks' reluctance to change an ageing Liverpool side in the late 1960s. Just after we won the European Cup against Real Madrid in 1981 he said the team needed freshening up and he went out and did it."
Among the players who were phased out within a year were goalkeeper Ray Clemence, midfielder Terry McDermott and striker David Johnson.
Right-back Phil Neal, who won nine league championships and four European Cups with the club, said that Paisley's ability to pick players from obscurity was a major strength.
Neal added: "He signed defender Ronnie Whelan from Irish League side Home Farm, striker Ian Rush from Chester City and goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar from Vancouver Whitecaps.
"When Kevin Keegan moved to German side Hamburg in 1977 for £500,000, Bob brought in Kenny Dalglish from Celtic and made a £60,000 profit on the deal."
_76979448_paisley_shankly_dochertygetty.jpg

Paisley took over from the great Bill Shankly in 1974
Soaked with success

Bob Paisley's career timeline
8 May 1939
Signs professional contract with Liverpool.
October 1939
Joins the 73rd Regiment of the Royal Artillery as an anti-tank gunner.
March 1954
Plays his final game for Liverpool in a 1-0 defeat away to Sheffield United.
April 1954
Becomes Liverpool's reserve team coach.
April 1956
Guides Liverpool reserves to their first Central League title.
July 1974
Succeeds Bill Shankly as Liverpool manager.
May 1976
Wins double of League Championship and UEFA Cup.
May 1977
Guides Liverpool to first European Cup and retains the League Championship.
May 1978
Liverpool beat FC Bruges and Paisley becomes first English manager to retain the European Cup.
May 1979
Wins League Championship for the third time.
May 1980
Wins fourth League Championship.
May 1981
Leads Liverpool to a third European Cup as they beat Real Madrid 1-0.
May 1982
Wins fifth League Championship with a final-day win over Tottenham.
August 1982
Announces he will retire at the end of the 1982/83 season.
March 1983
Wins the League Cup at Wembley with a 2-1 win over Manchester United.
May 1983
Wins his sixth League Championship and takes charge of Liverpool for the final time.
Paisley had a tough act to follow in succeeding Shankly, but Liverpool did not just dominate English football during Paisley's tenure, they dominated Europe, too.
In his second season as boss, Liverpool won the Uefa Cup, but Paisley had his eyes on the biggest prize of all.
The following season, he took Liverpool to their first European Cup success when they beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in the final in Rome.
On his one and only previous visit to Rome in 1944, Paisley had been a gunner in the Eighth Army and rode on the back of a tank during the liberation of the Eternal City.
Although not one for team talks, his words to the players before going out for that famous win in 1977 were as humorous as they were inspiring.
Keith explained: "He roused the players by saying that the first time he was in Rome he beat the Germans, and they were to go out there and do it again."
Paisley followed it up by taking Liverpool to two further European Cup crowns in 1978 and 1981.
Until Carlo Ancelotti led Real Madrid to Champions League glory in May, Paisley was the only manager to win three European Cup/Champions Leagues. He is still the only manager to do so with the same club.
Neal, who was Paisley's first signing from Northampton in 1974, added: "Bob's wife Jessie once said to me that what made his achievement even greater was that in those days you had to win the league to get into the European Cup. Nowadays you can finish fourth and still qualify."
_76979727_78959548_10.jpg

Paisley won three European Cups with Liverpool, the only manager to do so with the same club
The father figure

Alan Kennedy's family came from the same area of Tyne & Wear as Paisley and the former left-back says that he introduced the same sense of community at Liverpool as was found in the close-knit community he left behind at Hetton-le-Hole.
Kennedy said: "He didn't just chat to the tea ladies and the kit washing women, he knew their first names and, more to the point, wanted to know them.
"He always treated us the same as he would treat his sons.
"When Bob signed me as a 24-year-old from Newcastle United, he said it wasn't a gamble because he knew I was the right type of personality to make it at Liverpool because he was familiar with my background.
"He went to school with my mum, Sarah Anne, and they knew each other as they grew up. She used to serve him a lot when she worked in a fish and chip shop.
"When I joined Liverpool he would drive me to and from my hotel and tell me all the virtues of playing for the club."
Neal added: "Bob didn't focus on individuals, he treated everyone the same. He knew the importance of the team and so no-one was left out in the cold. If you had a problem on or off the pitch his door was always open."
_76979726_78969167_10.jpg

Paisley sold star player Kevin Keegan and replaced him with Kenny Dalglish, making a £60,000 profit
Paisley's quirks

After his playing days ended in 1954, Paisley had taken a correspondence course in physiotherapy and from it honed new skills that became beneficial later in his career.
Paisley did not like medical equipment and often struggled even to plug things in, but he had a sixth sense and trusted unorthodox methods, as striker David Fairclough was to find out.
Keith added: "David ran over to take a corner at the Kop end and as he cocked his leg to strike the ball, Bob turned to coach Joe Fagan and said 'get him off, he needs a cartilage operation'. Next week he was under the surgeon's knife."
Years earlier, Liverpool had hosted Bertie Mee's Arsenal and in the warm-up Paisley noticed Gunners striker Charlie George running with a slight ankle injury and persuaded Mee to pull George from the starting line-up.
Kennedy said that players were amazed by his ability to pick up on the slightest knocks. He added: "He had an uncanny knack. He would come up to you and ask 'are you alright?' Even if you felt fit that would put a doubt in your mind."
Shankly is often regarded as the brainchild behind the famous Anfield boot room, where tactics were discussed and important decisions made, but it was actually Paisley's idea.
Shankly had an office, but Paisley and the other coaches wanted their own place to go to chat, so chose the boot room.
Paul Orr, a friend and local brewery manager, ran his own team and would send players over to Anfield for extra coaching.
As a thank you, Orr, who later became Liverpool's lord mayor, sent a lorry to Anfield with crates of Guinness for the boot room.
Callaghan added: "You had to be invited into the boot room and when I was coming to the end of my career, Bob would invite me in with the other coaches and we'd have chats over a glass or two of Guinness."
_76979587_78966936_10.jpg

Liverpool's Emlyn Hughes captained Paisley's side to a 3-0 win over Everton in the 1977 FA Cup semis
Anfield sunset

Paisley had taken over the Anfield reins when he was 55 years old and by the age of 64 he had had enough.
When Shankly quit as manager, he could not let go and was often a distraction at the club's Melwood training ground.
Paisley did not want that for his successor Joe Fagan and kept a respectful distance.
Keith said: "Bob was intense when he was involved in football, but he knew when to back off. He loved nothing better than going home to Jessie and having a cup of tea and putting his feet up.
"He did become a director at the club, but he didn't interfere with the playing side, although he did become an advisor to Kenny Dalglish when he was player-manager. Kenny later said that 'the biggest debt I owe in football is to Bob Paisley' because of the vast knowledge he shared with him."
Paisley is regarded by many as the most successful manager in English football because he accrued his 20 trophies in a third of the time it took Sir Alex Ferguson to win his 38 trophies with Manchester United.
_76963170_paisley-v-ferguson_v5.jpg

Ferguson recently admitted that his only regret was not matching Paisley's three European Cups at Manchester United.
While Ferguson won 1.46 trophies per season in 26 seasons at United, Paisley achieved 2.22 per season.
Callaghan said: "It is always difficult to compare, but Paisley's record speaks for itself. When you factor in his other achievements at the club both on and off the pitch, I think he has to be the best."
Paisley died in 1996, aged 77, after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28772320

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex Ferguson ? Eat poo.
 
It's outrageous that he won 3 European cups in 9 seasons, especially considering this was when football was competitive, not like when Real Madrid did it after being bankrolled by the Spanish monarchy.
 
It fucks me off no end when you hear/read people say Ferguson is the best ever, he really doesn't get anywhere near Paisley as a manager or a human being.
 
Sean and MBBR: I don't think it's that simple. Aside from one or two incidentals maybe, there's little to discuss in a thread about such a self-evidently brilliant manager.
 
I grew up with Paisley as manager and my only complaint is that he spoiled my generation fucking rotten. We thought winning titles and Euro cups was a doddle.

It was with him in charge! when I heard he'd died I was driving near Poole in Dorset. I had to pull over and shed tears. One of a kind.
 
Such a shame that he suffered with Alzheimers in his final years.

A truly great man and manager.
 
Weeeeeell...manager, certainly. My respect for Bob Paisley as an individual took a knock over the Aldo business - when he was on the board he cast doubt on Aldo's signing in the press, Aldo responded and next thing he knew he was out the door to Sociedad and his dream was over.
 
Utmost respect for Paisley but, and i suppose as a Manc i would say this, I think Ferguson was the greatest manager of all time.

In terms on longevity at the top, trophy haul, ability to rebuild great teams again and again, competition with the likes of Chelsea first then City with bottomless pits of money and winning.
Heck for winning the league by 12 points the season before last with a fairly average team by all accounts.

Ducks for cover......
 
Fergie was a great manager, no question, but the best? Ever? Nah.

And that season you guys won it by 12 was im sure because everyone else around you was shit that season.
It was one virtually by default.
 
I never had the privilege of the Paisley years, so obviously I'm not as sentimentality attached to that team or our success at that time. It can't evoke fond memories of our team or even our playing style.

For me, slur Alex does have a bit of a decent argument to back him up. Yes his success in Europe wasn't anywhere near as successful as Bobs, but the man did build and rebuild title winning team after title winning team.

This isn't a sky generation bollocks, or whatever. This is based on what I've seen, as well as the sadness it brought with it.

Fire at will
 
I never had the privilege of the Paisley years, so obviously I'm not as sentimentality attached to that team or our success at that time. It can't evoke fond memories of our team or even our playing style.

For me, slur Alex does have a bit of a decent argument to back him up. Yes his success in Europe wasn't anywhere near as successful as Bobs, but the man did build and rebuild title winning team after title winning team.

This isn't a sky generation bollocks, or whatever. This is based on what I've seen, as well as the sadness it brought with it.

Fire at will


Isn't that exactly what sky generation is?
 
Bob Paisley was manager of Liverpool for 9 years. From memory, in that time we won the title 7 times, came second twice and won Bigears 3 times, i.e.as many times as ManU have managed in their entire history.

Ferguson was a great manager, but Paisley was better still.
 
Bob Paisley was manager of Liverpool for 9 years. From memory, in that time we won the title 7 times, came second twice and won Bigears 3 times, i.e.as many times as ManU have managed in their entire history.

Ferguson was a great manager, but Paisley was better still.

I think what makes Ferguson stand out is the far longer period over which he continued to win things.

A manager could create a great team and that team can go on to be really successful over a number of years racking up the trophies.

To rebuild again and again but continue winning is what makes SAF stand out for me.
 
Load of bollocks, so what if he built a few good teams, he was there a lifetime and had plenty of money to spend and buy the best and put these teams together, even then Ferguson was actually average in Europe for the most part and in reality got very lucky to get his hands on one European Cup let alone 2.

Paisley won a European Cup every 3 years (3 of them!) and dominated Europe, Ferguson every 14 years and never came close to dominating Europe.

Paisley won the league 2 out of every 3 seasons, Ferguson was less than 1 in 2.

Enough said really, the numbers speak for themselves, Paisley will always lord it over that nasty piss stinking cunt.
 
I think what makes Ferguson stand out is the far longer period over which he continued to win things.

A manager could create a great team and that team can go on to be really successful over a number of years racking up the trophies.

To rebuild again and again but continue winning is what makes SAF stand out for me.
There's a valid argument, but you're not going to win it here.
 
It's a respectable argument, but IMHO not a valid one for claiming Ferguson's the greater manager, not when Paisley's record includes never being out of the top two and winning the CL every three years. That's not just another example of being "really successful over a number of years".
 
We all know whiskey nose didn't win European titles like he won the premiership was because he didn't have the refs playing for him.
 
Utmost respect for Paisley but, and i suppose as a Manc i would say this, I think Ferguson was the greatest manager of all time.

In terms on longevity at the top, trophy haul, ability to rebuild great teams again and again, competition with the likes of Chelsea first then City with bottomless pits of money and winning.
Heck for winning the league by 12 points the season before last with a fairly average team by all accounts.

Ducks for cover......

I think what makes Ferguson stand out is the far longer period over which he continued to win things.

A manager could create a great team and that team can go on to be really successful over a number of years racking up the trophies.

To rebuild again and again but continue winning is what makes SAF stand out for me.


h8B9E3602
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom