COS Contributor Andrew Walker wonders if Rafa days are numbered.

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Liverpool fans have finally come to the end of their tether over Liverpool's form this season in the Premier and Champions league made clear by a deafening silence at the end of another loss at Anfield to Arsenal followed by an inept display at bottom of the table Portsmouth.

It is all very well, in discussing Liverpool's woes, to invoke the spirit of Shankly. But how do you define it? You can make a start by listening to 73 minutes and 30 seconds of the great man giving his thoughts to John Roberts, the journalist with whom he collaborated on his autobiography two years after retiring as manager in 1974.

SOS - the embarrassing and xenophobic Liverpool FC 'fan' group that shamelessly uses Bill Shankly's name to legitimise their thuggish agenda - has hatched a dubious plan to physically restrain Tom Hicks and George Gillett from entering Anfield on their next visit. Perhaps now, Liverpool fans will finally wake up and realise that SOS is doing nothing but damage to the public image of the club and its fans?

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Bill Shankly's first day on the job at Liverpool, a post he held for fifteen years. His tenure saw Liverpool rise from a struggling second division club to a perennial English powerhouse, winning three league titles, two FA Cups, and one UEFA Cup.

Obviously this is a big day for Liverpool supporters, and the internet is ripe with material on the "man of the people.

This picture reminded me of a famous quote by the legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly who served them for nearly 15 years.

I know it is a bit late, but better late than never. I just had to share it. Incidentally you could even use the picture of Arshavin celebrating with Wenger but I chose this one to explain my point.

"A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are. In my time at Anfield we always said we had the best two teams on Merseyside Liverpool and Liverpool reserves."

It's almost impossible to underestimate Bill Shankly's contribution to the Reds.

Anfield last night payed tribute to one of the most iconic football managers of all time, as the club marked the 50th Anniversary since the great Bill Shankly took charge of the club and made history during an incredible and awe-inspiring 15 years at the helm of the Merseyside giants.

The achievements of the club during the 1960's are still fondly remembered on Merseyside – and probably always will be as the great man took them from the old second division – now the championship, and won three league titles, two FA cups as well as a Uefa cup, a period which kick-started Liverpool's proud and inspiring history.

David Ngog and Fernando Torres were the heroes on the night as Liverpool grabbed a victory of paramount importance. Forget that it was the 50th anniversary of the appointment of Bill Shankly, that it was Torres' 100th match for the Reds, or that we came into the match in a shambolic 8th place in the [.

Bill Shankly week could not have come sooner for thousands of Liverpool fans unsure of where their club is heading. This week, LFC TV and the club website will air tributes and put together articles that honour the memory of the club's greatest manager.

It was 50 years ago, that Shankly moved from Huddersfield Town to Liverpool then languishing at the bottom of the second division.

Kevin Keegan was sat on a bin the first time he met Bill Shankly. It was May 1971 and the 20-year-old Yorkshireman had been waiting patiently at Anfield to discuss his impending switch from Scunthorpe to Liverpool.
It's an encounter firmly etched in Keegan's memory bank because life would never be the same again.

Rafael Benitez marked the 50th anniversary of Bill Shankly's appointment as Liverpool manager by insisting the club must always aspire to the levels of pride and passion the great Scot achieved at Anfield.
Tuesday marks the day in December 1959 when Shankly was officially appointed manager of the club.

With arms aloft, scarf tied tightly round his neck and celebrating with the Kop, the iconic image of Bill Shankly has become what defines Liverpool Football Club.
The benchmark for any future manager, player, member of the backroom or supporter, and what they strive towards, was raised to unprecedented heights as the man from Glenbuck realised his managerial potential to unleash a new era in British and European football.

There was only one Bill Shankly, a man of the people, a man who made them happy.
Watch old black and white footage now of Shankly in front of the Kop, a teeming, tumbling mass of human adulation, and you know that Liverpool FC's greatest manager was special.
He may not have won the trophies that Anfield managers who followed him amassed, but he was responsible for putting in place the foundation of a dynasty that created one of the world's greatest football institutions.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Bill Shankly's arrival at Anfield, there is interesting information about the great man flying about all over the place. Here are 10 random snippets of information some fans might not know about (and if you do, great!)
1. Shanks had to wait almost three years to experience his first Merseyside Derby as manager of Liverpool.

Over the last 50 years, which Liverpool manager has the highest unbeaten game percentage, and how do managerial rivals – both past and present - compare?
Here are the figures for all Liverpool managers from 1959-present (all competitions):

Years

Total
Games

Wins

Draws

Total
Unbeaten

%
Unbeaten

1

Kenny Dalglish

6

307

187

78

265

86%

2

Joe Fagan

2

133

70

37

107

82%

3

Bob Paisley

9

535

307

132

439

82%

4

Rafa Benitez

5

315

178

69

247

78%

5

Bill Shankly

15

783

407

198

605

77%

6

Gerard Houllier

7

325

165

81

246

76%

7

Roy Evans

5

244

123

63

186

76%

8

Graeme Souness

3

157

65

47

112

71%

It's no real surprise to see Graeme Souness propping up the table (!

At the risk of sounding disparaging, a test tube baby constructed from the essence of Bill Shankly, Rinus Michels and Sepp Herberger could have failed at Tottenham in the late 1990's. Here was a club that was so desperate they ended up hiring the hated George Graham. Even so, mention the name Christian Gross in Blighty and you'll find Tottenham supporters groaning at the memory of his ill fated spell as Spurs manager in 1997 and everyone else laughing up their sleeve.

Asked if the club must now focus on fourth place in the Premier League, England international Steven Gerrard replied: "Of course, that is always the priority at this club."
Inadvertently, Steven Gerrard offered Liverpool supporters a glimpse into the stark reality of the club's predicament as he mulled over defeat to Fiorentina, and elimination from the Champions League, this week.

Liverpool suffered their second home embarrassment in five days as Arsenal grabbed the points in a game which was supposed to be a new beginning for the Anfield men.
Manager Rafael Benitez had insisted the season started again after the midweek Champions League defeat to Fiorentina.
But he did not get his wish even though Liverpool led at the break through Dirk Kuyt and should have had a penalty when William Gallas felled Steven Gerrard.

In a recent article, I looked at unbeaten ratios for the top managers in English football over the last 50 years. Today, I take a look at win ratios: who has the highest win percentage, and how have Liverpool's managers compared with their rivals over the years?
Here are the figures for all Liverpool managers from 1959-present (all competitions):

Years

Total
Games

Wins

Win %

1

Kenny Dalglish

6

307

187

61%

2

Bob Paisley

9

535

307

57%

3

Rafa Benitez

5

315

178

56%

4

Joe Fagan

2

133

70

53%

5

Bill Shankly

15

783

407

52%

6

Gerard Houllier

7

325

165

51%

7

Roy Evans

5

244

123

50%

8

Graeme Souness

3

157

65

41%

Rafa Benitez is holding his own against some of Liverpool's legendary managers of the past!

Liverpool are to stage an emotional parade of legends at Anfield tomorrow to mark the 50th anniversary of Bill Shankly's first game in charge of the Reds.
Shankly Boys including Ian Callaghan, Kevin Keegan, Phil Thompson and many more will take to the pitch at half-time during the game against Wigan to pay homage to the Scot.

All the stuff being covered outside the unfriendly confines of the award winning Dirty Tackle...

Edin Dzeko tells a heckling fan who's boss after Bosnia lost to Portugal in the World Cup qualifying playoffs last month. And he does it sideways. [Bild]

Capello says Hargreaves has a chance at World Cup squad.

The title could be debated, with a number of names in consideration - but if you were going to start a debate on 'the most important man in football history', Bill Shankly would have to be in the conversation.
...I mentioned that he had changed the face of world football. Some people may have thought that was a slight exaggeration, but I think it is a fair assessment of the impact this man has had on the game.

Mini match report: If Liverpool are to finish in the top four, as Rafa 'guaranteed' earlier this week, then they must win matches like this. And so they did, with goals by David Ngog and sub Fernando Torres, although Charles N'Zogbia's excellent goal in the dying minutes will have raised heart rates on the Kop, not to mention the home technical area.

Liverpool paid tribute to late manager Bill Shankly on Wednesday to mark 50 years since the Scot arrived on Merseyside to transform the club into soccer superpowers.
Former players from Shankly's era in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as members of his family, paraded on the Anfield pitch at half time in the club's Premier League match against Wigan Athletic.

Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez is handling Fernando Torres' comeback from injury carefully as he intends to get the best out of his star striker over the coming months.
The Spain international was left on the bench for Wednesday night's 2-1 victory over Wigan, although his 64th appearance, off the bench, proved to be timely as he scored the crucial second goal 14 minutes later.

Rafael Benitez believes last night's 2-1 victory over Wigan at Anfield will help restore his players' confidence.
Goals from David Ngog and Fernando Torres lifted Liverpool up to sixth in the Premier League and they are now five points adrift of fourth placed Aston Villa.
Benitez has urged his side to build on the club's first home win since late October when they travel to struggling Portsmouth on Saturday.

Much has been said and done to celebrate the achievements of Bill Shankly on the fiftieth anniversary of his arrival in Liverpool, which is how it should be given that he was the one to make the club great again.
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.

Book Review: Player by Player by Ivan Ponting
Some years ago, I accepted to write some Liverpool player profiles for a site, foolishly thinking that this was going to be an easy job. After all, how difficult could it be to write a couple of hundred words about players you knew inside out?

I still believe in Rafa Benitez and I'm convinced he will secure a top four finish for Liverpool this season.
However, a number of his players have got to have a long, hard look at themselves.
When I saw Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reina and Jamie Carragher walking off at Portsmouth on Saturday they looked upset and annoyed.