Honours Won : League Championship (1976), UEFA Cup (1976), Charity Shield (1976), League Championship (1977), European Cup (1977), Charity Shield (1977), European Cup (1978), League Championship (1979), Charity Shield (1979), League Championship (1980), Charity Shield (1980) League Cup (1981), European Cup (1981), League Cup (1982), League Championship (1982), Charity Shield (1982) League Cup (1983), League Championship (1983)
Runner-up : League Championship (1975), Charity Shield (1976), FA Cup (1977), League Cup (1978), League Championship (1978), European Super Cup (1978), Intercontinental Cup (1981)
Shankly's 55-year-old assistant Bob Paisley, was promoted to the position of manager for the 1974–75 season after failing to persuade his predecessor to carry on. Paisley was manager of Liverpool from 1974 until 1983, and during those nine years he became one of the most successful managers ever to take charge of an English club. His one and only season without winning a trophy was his first, 1974–75.
Paisley's second season brought the league title (the first of six under his management). In 1977 the championship was retained and the team won the European Cup for the first time in the club's history. The final was won with 3–1 over old foes Borussia Mönchengladbach. This game in Rome was Kevin Keegan's last for the club. The European Cup was retained the following year with a 1–0 win in the final against F.C. Brugge with the goal scored by Kenny Dalglish, Keegan's replacement. Dalglish had been put through by future captain Graeme Souness.
1978–79 was a record breaking year as the league title was won with 68 points and only 16 goals conceded in 42 matches. The following season brought another league title. Paisley's third and last European Cup victory came in 1981 with a 1–0 victory in the final over Real Madrid. The unexpected scorer of the winning goal was defender Alan Kennedy. The only domestic trophy to previously elude them, the League Cup, was also won that season with another defender, Alan Hansen, grabbing the winning goal.
A defeat to Manchester City on Boxing Day 1981 saw Liverpool drop to eleventh place, and their opponents went top of the league on that day, but a string of victories brought the title back to Anfield. Ironically, they sealed the title on the final day of the season with a 1–0 home win over Manchester City, who in contrast had suffered a terrible run of form in the second half of the season and slumped to 12th place.
The League Cup was also retained, with a 3–2 win over FA Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur in extra time. Young midfielder Ronnie Whelan scored twice, with the other goal coming from emerging striker Ian Rush who had signed from Chester two years earlier but only that season broke into the first team.
1982–83 saw Liverpool retain the league title and also the League Cup. They faced some stiff competition early on, but by the end of February the title race was effectively over. The title was clinched with four games remaining. A unique third successive League Cup triumph had been secured on 26 March when goals from Alan Kennedy and Ronnie Whelan gave them a 2–1 win over Manchester United in the final at Wembley Stadium.
Such was the success of Liverpool, who won six of the nine league titles they contested for during Paisley's management, that the manager himself once quoted: Mind you, I've been here during the bad times too – one year we came second.
The big question for fans at the conclusion of that season was who would replace Bob Paisley. Before retiring he won a total of twenty-one trophies, including three European Cups, a UEFA Cup, six league titles and three consecutive League Cups during his spell as manager. Under Paisley, a new era of stars emerged. They included Graeme Souness, Ian Rush, Alan Hansen and Kenny Dalglish.
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