In his first season at Anfield, Lawrenson won the League championship and the League Cup, retaining the latter for another two years and adding another League title and the club's fourth European Cup in 1984, the final time Liverpool FC would win this prestigious honour until 2005. Lawrenson and Hansen had become renowned as the best central defensive partnership in English football by the time Liverpool clinched the League and FA Cup "double" in 1986. Lawrenson's timing in the tackle was also feted by football observers. The partnership continued for one more season before Lawrenson, already out through a different but minor injury, suffered Achilles tendon damage in 1988 which prematurely ended his career. He earned a fifth and final title medal when that season ended. His Liverpool career ended after 332 appearances and 17 goals - one of which was the "forgotten fifth" in a 5-0 victory over old enemy Everton in November 1982 in which Ian Rush took all the headlines by scoring four.
He managed Oxford United afterwards but was fired after star striker Dean Saunders was sold by the board of directors without Lawrenson's blessing. Lawrenson began working as a pundit for the BBC but then left briefly to become a coach specialising in defensive tactics for Kevin Keegan at Newcastle United. However, the position was short-lived, with Lawrenson quickly returning to media work. He has since become established as one of the most prominent pundits and commentators of the game, both on BBC television and radio coverage, often finding himself sitting alongside his former defensive partner, Alan Hansen and, since the departure from the BBC of Trevor Brooking, has assumed the role of main co-commentator on major national and international matches covered by the television network. He also works as a pundit for TV3 in Ireland for mid-week Champions League games alongside Welsh national team manager and former Liverpool striker, John Toshack. While working as a pundit he managed to incur the displeasure of Southampton fans by suggesting, at the beginning of several consecutive seasons, that he thought that Southampton would be relegated that year. In season 2004-2005 he was proved right.
One of his most memorable moments as a pundit was when he shaved off his trademark moustache after betting that Bolton would be relegated from the Premiership in the 2001-2002 season. He was ultimately proved wrong by Sam Allardyce’s team and kept his word by shaving off the tache. He has a propensity for finishing his sentences with the words "by the way", which imparts a sense of informality to his punditry. Lawrenson provided secondary commentary along with Jon Champion for International Superstar Soccer 2 and 3. He also writes a regular PNE (Preston North End) column for the University of Central Lancashire's Students' Union newspaper, Pluto
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