Indeed Shankly is rightly remembered among the greatest of football managers. What is often forgotten, however, is that between building his two great sides there were six seasons during which Liverpool won nothing. Despite this, he retained the faith of the supporters throughout, something of which he wouldn't be guaranteed today.

Given how many fans are turning on Benitez in the first truly bad season that there has been since he took over it is safe to assume that, had Shankly been working today, it would have been difficult even for him to keep his job after so many years without winning anything.