The Fans View

Liverpool FC: The Greatest Ever XI

It's one of the classic debates for all Liverpool supporters - just who would make it in to your all time reds XI?

Do you pick a team based on how many trophies each player won, or on raw natural ability?  Do you pick a player with outstanding qualities who just happened to be at Liverpool at the wrong time?

Over on the LFC Reds Liverpool forum this debate has been underway this summer.

Across 9 categories they voted for 11 players and a manager to build up a greatest Liverpool XI.

To keep the focus on the players a 4-4-2 formation was chosen from the outset - the formation that served Liverpool so well during the most successful eras of the clubs history.

Here is the combined team from all the voting categories.

LFC Reds Greatest Ever XI

LFC Reds Greatest XI: Clemence, Kennedy, Hansen, Hyypia, Neal, Barnes, Souness, Gerrard, McManaman, Dalglish, Suarez

Bob Paisley received the most votes as greatest ever manager, and the team contains a number of the legends from his time in charge.  Plenty of debate was had with regards to forwards but both Dalglish and Suarez were regarded as the two most naturally gifted forwards to have ever worn the famous red shirt.

Here are some of the comments made ahead of voting.

Just has to be Rushie and Kenny. Utterly lethal and made us what we once were. The very best... - MarkMitt

Really difficult this one. Robbie was my favourite player during his first spell with us and Rushie is as good a goal scorer as you'll ever see. But Luis is the most gifted footballer I've seen play for us and as someone else said on here you cannot have a greatest ever LFC side without the King on it so my choice is those two. - srslfc

How much would you pay to see a prime Luis play with a prime Kenny? - Magillionare

Some of the voting areas were exceptionally close so a runners up team was also created.

In this side players from the modern era being combined with players even further back in the past than Paisley's arrival.

The second XI.

LFC's second greatest ever eleven

LFC Reds Second Greatest XI: Reina, Riise, Hughes, Carragher, Nicol, Liddell, Molby, Alonso, Callaghan, Rush, Fowler

Liverpool's second eleven, with Molby and Alonso, would have been able to spray passes all over the pitch and with two prolific hitmen in Rush and Fowler goals surely would have flown in.

The centre of midfield presented more difficulty - here's what some fans said:

"Gerrard has to be my first pick, he is simply put the best all round midfielder ive ever witnessed. Second pick is much more difficult." - Orchard Red

"Hardest decision ever !!!  Blessed with so many brilliant midfield players over the years, Stevie would have course have to be my number one, but like so many have already mentioned the likes of Case, McDermott, Ray Kennedy, Souness, Whelan, Alonso, Mascherano etc etc..oh my head hurts, how lucky have we been though over the years to see such quality in our midfield. - MsGerrard

"I think it should be remembered that all the midfielders mentioned in this thread could and did score goals for us. A thing that has been missing in recent years is goals from midfield, Ray Kennedy scored 51 goals for us. - billy1

What a game it would have been to have seen these two sides in their prime face off - and which team would have won?

13 comments on
Liverpool FC: The Greatest Ever XI

  1. PRE 1992 BEST POST 1992 BEST
    GoalKeepers GoalKeepers

    Ray Clemence 1 Alisson Becker

    Backs Backs
    Chris Lawler 2 Trent Alex-Arnold
    Tommy Smith 3 Virgil van Dijk
    Ron Yeats 4 Jamie Carragher
    Gerry Byrne 5 John Arne Riise

    MidField MidField
    Ian Callaghan 6 Javier Macherano
    Kenny Galglish 7 Xavi Alonso
    Graeme Souness 8 Steven Gerrard

    Strikers Strikers
    Ian Rush 9 Robert Firmino
    Roger Hunt 10 Mo Salah
    Billy Liddell 11 Robbie Fowler

    Reserves Reserves

    Tommy Lawrence Pepe Reina
    David Fairclough Sammy Hyypia
    Alan Hansen Divock Origi
    Phil Thompson Andy Robertson
    Steve Heighway Fabinho
    Jimmy Case Sadio Mane
    John Barnes Dirk Kuyt
    Gordon Hodgson Fernando Torres

    COACH COACH
    Bob Paisley Jurgen Klopp

  2. He captained the Three Lions 23 times only eight players have led them for more games and his international career spanned three decades. There are plenty of Liverpool players who have failed to replicate their club form with their country, but Crazy Horse was not one of them.

  3. I would like to think that Torres should get a mention. I think along with Suarez he has been our best striker since rush. Does Owen not get a mention either?

    I agree, its tough! so many class players!

  4. Not Steve McManaman in the 1st XI for me. Steve Heighway, Terry McDermot, Ray Kennedy, Ronnie Whelan and Ian Rush all make it in there before him imho. You could even play 4-3-3, and Have Barnes, Souness, Gerrard in Midfield and Dalglish, Rush & Suarez up front.

  5. It is very difficult to name only 11 players whenit comes to a great club like LFC. The easiest pick will be Dalglish , Gerrard and Clemence…The rest is so difficult… Btw , I’m typing with my Lcf keyboard downloaded From android store… I love it.. And it’s free ….

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