| Club: | Liverpool F.C. |
| Season: | 1971–72 |
| Chairman: | H.E. Roberts |
| Manager: | Bill Shankly |
| League: | First Division |
| League Result: | 3rd |
| League Topscorer: | John Toshack (13) |
| Season Topscorer: | John Toshack (13) |
| Cup1: | Cup Winners' Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Second round |
| Cup2: | FA Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | Fourth round |
| Cup3: | League Cup |
| Cup3 Result: | Fourth round |
| Average Attendance: | 47,689 |
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| Prevseason: | 1970–71 |
| Nextseason: | 1972–73 |
The 1971–72 season was Liverpool Football Club's 80th season in existence and their tenth consecutive season in the First Division. Liverpool fought for the league title for the first time in three years, finishing third, just one point behind champions Derby. Liverpool's second attempt at the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup ended in disappointment following an autumn defeat to Bayern Munich. The season saw the breakthrough of youngster Kevin Keegan. The attacking midfielder played an integral part in the team, assisting several goals and scoring nine himself, after moving to the striker position.[1]
Another player who had come through the youth system and made his debut as a substitute for John Toshack against Manchester United on Easter Monday was Phil Thompson who would become an integral part of the team for the rest of the decade.
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| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-Aug-71 | H | 3–1 | 51,427 | Report | Report | |||
| 17-Aug-71 | H | 3–2 | 51,869 | Report | Report | |||
| 21-Aug-71 | A | 2–3 | 39,720 | Report | Report | |||
| 24-Aug-71 | A | 1–0 | 29,489 | Report | Report | |||
| 28-Aug-71 | H | 3–2 | 50,970 | Report | Report | |||
| 01-Sep-71 | A | 0–1 | 45,144 | Report | Report | |||
| 04-Sep-71 | A | 0–2 | 50,124 | Report | Report | |||
| 11-Sep-71 | H | 1–0 | 45,878 | Report | Report | |||
| 18-Sep-71 | A | 0–1 | 41,381 | Report | Report | |||
| 25-Sep-71 | H | 2–2 | 55,634 | Report | Report | |||
| 02-Oct-71 | A | 0–0 | 28,698 | Report | Report | |||
| 09-Oct-71 | H | 0–0 | 48,464 | Report | Report | |||
| 16-Oct-71 | A | 3–2 | 20,945 | Report | Report | |||
| 23-Oct-71 | H | 2–0 | 41,627 | Report | Report | |||
| 30-Oct-71 | A | 1–1 | 39,023 | Report | Report | |||
| 06-Nov-71 | H | 3–2 | 46,929 | Report | Report | |||
| 13-Nov-71 | A | 0–1 | 56,563 | Report | Report | |||
| 20-Nov-71 | A | 2–0 | 25,325 | Report | Report | |||
| 27-Nov-71 | H | 1–0 | 43,399 | Report | Report | |||
| 04-Dec-71 | A | 0–0 | 21,359 | Report | Report | |||
| 11-Dec-71 | H | 3–2 | 44,601 | Report | Report | |||
| 18-Dec-71 | H | 0–0 | 43,409 | Report | Report | |||
| 27-Dec-71 | A | 0–1 | 43,904 | Report | Report | |||
| 01-Jan-72 | H | 0–2 | 53,847 | Report | Report | |||
| 08-Jan-72 | A | 0–1 | 26,421 | Report | Report | |||
| 22-Jan-72 | A | 0–0 | 33,692 | Report | Report | |||
| 29-Jan-72 | H | 4–1 | 39,538 | Report | Report | |||
| 12-Feb-72 | A | 1–0 | 18,702 | Report | Report | |||
| 19-Feb-72 | H | 2–0 | 42,005 | Report | Report | |||
| 26-Feb-72 | H | 3–0 | 50,074 | Report | Report | |||
| 04-Mar-72 | H | 4–0 | 53,922 | Report | Report | |||
| 11-Mar-72 | A | 0–0 | 38,691 | Report | Report | |||
| 18-Mar-72 | H | 5–0 | 43,899 | Report | Report | |||
| 25-Mar-72 | A | 1–0 | 21,680 | Report | Report | |||
| 28-Mar-72 | H | 2–1 | 42,489 | Report | Report | |||
| 01-Apr-72 | H | 2–0 | 46,564 | Report | Report | |||
| 03-Apr-72 | A | 3–0 | 54,000 | Report | Report | |||
| 08-Apr-72 | H | 3–1 | 50,628 | Report | Report | |||
| 15-Apr-72 | A | 2–0 | 32,660 | Report | Report | |||
| 22-Apr-72 | H | 2–0 | 54,316 | Report | Report | |||
| 01-May-72 | A | 0–1 | 39,420 | Report | Report | |||
| 08-May-72 | A | 0–0 | 39,289 | Report | Report |
See main article: 1971–72 Football League Cup.
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-Sep-71 | A | 3–0 | 31,612 | Report | Report | |||
| 05-Oct-71 | H | 1–0 | 29,964 | Report | Report | |||
| 27-Oct-71 | A | 1–2 | 40,878 | Report | Report |
See main article: 1971–72 FA Cup.
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-Jan-72 | H | 3–0 | 56,124 | Report | Report | |||
| 05-Feb-72 | H | 0–0 | 56,296 | Report | Report | |||
| 09-Feb-72 | A | 0–2 | 49,572 | Report | Report |
See main article: 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup.
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-Sep-71 | A | 1–2 | 21,000 | Report | Report | |||
| 29-Sep-71 | H | 2–0 | 38,591 | Report | Report | |||
| 20-Oct-71 | H | 0–0 | 42,949 | Report | Report | |||
| 03-Nov-71 | A | 1–3 | 40,000 | Report | Report |
See main article: 1971 FA Charity Shield.