TWENTY Liverpool managers over 131 YEARS couldn’t do what Arne Slot has just done

It’s been a fantastic start to Arne Slot’s reign as Liverpool boss, and he’s already making history.

The Dutchman had big shoes to fill when he took over from Jurgen Klopp this summer, and has not made big changes, waiting until August to make his first signing by agreeing a deal to recruit goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who won’t actually arrive until 2025, before following that up with the purchase of Federico Chiesa from Juventus.

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Chiesa hasn’t played for the club yet either, so Slot has relied upon the same players that Klopp had, getting some fine performances out of the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Luis Diaz, as well as Mohamed Salah, despite the ongoing uncertainty about the Egyptian’s future.

Slot has controlled things expertly so far, winning all three of his opening league games, against Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United.

By doing so, he’s already had a better start to life as Liverpool manager than Klopp, Kenny Dalglish, Bob Paisley and Bill Shankly.

Faster start than the greats

Klopp drew his first two league games as Liverpool boss, against Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, before securing his first win at Chelsea.

Brendan Rodgers picked up just one point in three games, losing to West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal, while Dalglish’s second spell began with defeat at Blackpool, after Roy Hodgson’s unhappy stint in charge started with a draw and a loss.

Before that, Rafa Benitez’s first three games included a draw at Spurs and defeat at Bolton Wanderers, with Gerard Houllier picking up seven points after becoming joint boss with Roy Evans, who’d collected only one point from his opening three matches when he’d first taken over as sole manager in 1994.

Graeme Souness did win his first two games in 1991, but then lost 4-2 at Chelsea, while Dalglish’s first stint saw him begin with a win, a draw and a defeat in his opening three matches.

Even the other greats before him couldn’t win all of their first three league games in charge. Joe Fagan drew his opening match at Wolves, the same side who also prevented Paisley from winning all of his opening games in 1974. Paisley triumphed in five of his first six league matches, but drew the second game 0-0 at Molineux.

Shankly couldn’t quite make it three out of three either, winning his first two league fixtures in the Second Division in 1959, but losing the third game 4-0 at Cardiff City. 

Before him, Phil Taylor, Don Welsh, George Kay, George Patterson, Matt McQueen and David Ashworth were also unable to win all of their first three league games.

A record set in the 1890s

Patterson did triumph in his opening three matches during his first spell in 1918, but they were in the Lancashire Principal Tournament, rather than the Football League, during the closing months of World War One. When the Football League resumed, Liverpool lost their second game to Arsenal.

Before him, Tom Watson couldn’t do it either, so the only time a reign has ever previously started with three consecutive league wins was when the club was first founded, and William Edward Barclay shared the reins with club secretary John McKenna.

Back then, the duo helped Liverpool to win their first four matches in the Lancashire League in 1892-93, then also triumphed in their first four fixtures in the Football League a year later - against Middlesbrough Ironopolis, Lincoln City, Ardwick and Birmingham.