The 1990-91 season is perhaps the most pivotal in Liverpool’s history – only Bill Shankly’s arrival in 1959-60 comes close. Both, of course, represent bookends of an era, the last half of which saw the club dominate English football. Kenny Dalglish, under intense pressure, exacerbated by Hillsborough, resigned in February after a chaotic 4-4 FA Cup replay against Everton, and, after much speculation – and a spell with Ronnie Moran in caretaker charge – Graeme Souness was appointed two months later. It’s been said that Dalglish later regretted his decision, and may have needed a break, which represents both a great ‘what if?’ moment and a lesson for the club 30 years on.

The season began with the usual optimism, and but results gradually faded away and Liverpool finished a distant second behind an Arsenal side that lost just once all season. Nonetheless Liverpool, who had been in the top two for all but one of the past 18 seasons, wouldn’t finish second again until 2002.

After not making any major additions in the summer – although Ronny Rosenthal’s loan deal was made permanent – Dalglish embarked on a mid-season spending spree, signing youngsters Don Hutchinson and Jamie Redknapp, who would break into the first team later on, as well as the more questionable additions of Jimmy Carter and David Speedie.

The team’s kits were identical to before, except with adidas-styled numbers replacing the plain ones.