Boot room is gone but maybe Liverpool have again replaced a great with minimum fuss

Liverpool have historically been good at replacing great managers

Liverpool manager Arne Slot gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League group stage match at the RB Arena in Leipzig, Germany. Picture date: Wednesday October 23, 2024.

Replacing a legend is supposed to be hard. It took Manchester United 24 years to win the league after Matt Busby departed and it has been 11 without success since Alex Ferguson left. It took Leeds 18 years to win the league again after Don Revie took the England job, although it could be argued they have never really recovered. It was 12 years after Harry Catterick left when Everton won the league again and they have not won it since Howard Kendall moved to Spain.

The shadows of Rinus Michels, Hennes Weisweiler and Brian Clough still hang over Ajax, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Nottingham Forest. Countless Dynamo Kyiv managers have found themselves asking: “What would Valeriy Lobanovskyi do?” That is always the problem. Football is constantly evolving. Managers must change. But the new manager must strike a balance.