Liverpool boss Arne Slot has shown promising signs that he could be the club's modern equivalent to legendary former manager Bob Paisley, Reds expert David Lynch has asserted.
The Merseysiders were held to a 1-1 stalemate by FA Cup champions Crystal Palace on Sunday, but the match itself was of little consequence given they lifted the Premier League title after the final whistle.
Few predicted that head coach Slot would perform so well without experiencing setbacks given he was following in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp, who had won numerous pieces of silverware during his time at Anfield and had been in charge for nine years.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch spoke of how Slot's achievements have drawn comparisons from fans to Bob Paisley, who led the club to unprecedented success in the 1970s and 80s after taking over from revered boss Bill Shankly, saying: "The first time I heard that comparison made was in the third game of the season, the game away at Manchester United.
"I was invited over to a fan event in Oslo and there it was a Norwegian supporters club, and after they'd won that game and performed impressively - they'd won all the first three games and they looked very good - a fan said to me, 'I think that we found our Paisley here', and I laughed and said, 'we'll be lucky if that proves to be the case'. But the further the season has gone on, the more the comparison looks apt.
"The way in which he's seamlessly assumed and dropped into that role is remarkable. With Klopp being that rabble-rousing leader, the firebrand, famously socialist and making a big play of that, and Slot being a bit more cool and collected, more calm, more quiet - you can see the parallels [to Shankly and Paisley] there."
Shankly was seen as an impossible act to follow after bringing Liverpool from the Second Division to the top flight during his five years at the club - winning three Division One titles - but Paisley would stay at Anfield for nine seasons and win a major trophy in every season but his first as Reds boss.
What does Slot have to do to emulate Paisley?
Slot's achievements with the Merseysiders are even more remarkable when considering he was only afforded one signing in the entirety of 2024-25 - backup winger Federico Chiesa - and his adaptability has fuelled hopes that he can continue to experience success.
However, the Dutchman will have his work cut out to emulate Paisley, who won six league titles, three EFL Cups and three European Cups, establishing a dynasty in the 1970s and 80s.
Lynch insisted that Slot will have to routinely challenge for league titles and perform better on the continent if he wishes to leave behind a similar legacy to Paisley, when he told Sports Mole: "Slot's won the league at the first attempt - he's made the most of strong foundations. The challenge now for him over the next nine years is to win three European Cups, and win countless more league titles as well!
"In terms of a start, the comparison is looking pretty solid at the moment. You hope it can continue, but I think it's huge credit to what Liverpool have done to find Slot as well. They didn't just pluck him from the boot room as they did with Bob Paisley. This was someone they had to go out there and find, and they've done an incredible job in doing that.
"It's not a bad start to win a league title in your first season, so let's see if he can keep building on it, because that's what he'll have to do if he's to get close to Paisley."
Liverpool were eliminated from the Champions League by finalists Paris Saint-Germain in March in the round of 16, and Slot will be keen to progress much further in the competition next term.
Bob Paisley as Liverpool manager, on April 22, 1981© Imago
Will Liverpool's points tally impact Slot's legacy?
Following the team's draw with Palace, Liverpool ended the campaign with 84 points, the lowest tally that a Premier League champion had totalled since Leicester City in 2015-16 (81).
Pundits and rival fans have suggested that Slot's side did not face many challenges, intimating that the club's title win will not be remembered as historically significant as other teams' triumphs.
Lynch pushed back on such notions, highlighting that the Reds could have easily gained more points had they not already won the Premier League with four games to spare, telling Sports Mole: "It's very easy to compartmentalise the form in the latter part of the season of these last four games, because they lost something in terms of motivation as soon as the job was done.
"Suggestions that they found it easy because others have dropped off and it's a weak league have proven to be absolute nonsense, because what's happened is Liverpool lost that level of motivation, that ability to work that extra yard that you need to be an elite team. All of a sudden they start losing games and drawing games that they wouldn't, so it shows how strong the league is.
"We could look back on this points tally and question it and say 'maybe that says something about the league' but we have to acknowledge the important context that Liverpool won it at a canter and they had it wrapped up with four games to go. If they needed to get 90 plus, if they needed to win their last four games, they would have, but they didn't."
It should be noted that Newcastle United won the EFL Cup, Crystal Palace won the FA Cup, Chelsea won the Conference League and Tottenham Hotspur won the Europa League in 2024-25, and it is difficult to argue that the league was weak when so many sides have been able to win silverware.
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