Manchester United defender embarrassed by cult hero ‘rockstar’

In the 60s and 70s, every team had a dribbler, often a tricky winger, who was only in the team to break up the psychotic defense. He was usually the first to get studded down the calf and booted in the air, but he was the one you paid your 75p to see in your best Brutus 28 inch flares

Pele against Bulgaria
He was the first true modern player, athletic but solidly built and blessed with both sprint pace and close ball control. He didn’t have a good WC in 1966 due to injury, but he turned it on in this 2-0 win.

At one point he took the ball down the left, stopped, confronted a defender, injected a burst of speed to get past him before a second came over to challenge him. Pele pushed past him in the box and crossed it. Remember, a defender can perform open heart surgery on you and not get sent off. It’s an elegant move born of quick feet, strength and remarkable change of pace. His reputation was well deserved.

Rodney Marsh v Birmingham City
He was a player of remarkable skill, capable of all sorts of goals but entertaining – remember that word when you slow down videos just to prove something should have been a penalty – was what he did best. He would only try outrageous things. It didn’t matter if he didn’t score, it was just fun to watch him try.

To complete his hat-trick in this game, he collects the ball 25 yards out, centrally, a crowd of defenders around him. He steps on the ball, rolls it back, pushes it forward, taps it and buries it, completely fooling defenders. Also, he looked like he played in Status Quo.

Stan Bowles v Sunderland
QPR were a great team to watch in the mid-70s, full of pace and flair. Liverpool didn’t invent quick counter attacks from an opposition corner, QPR did in 1976. Here Sunderland take a corner. I think it’s headed out to Dave Thomas (himself a big socks-down winger) who sends it 50 yards down to Stan who cuts inside, then outside at pace and has scored before Sunderland know what hit them. Stan played just for fun, didn’t take it too seriously and was usually in the bookies ten minutes before kick-off.

George Best v West Ham
Yes, he was simply amazing and as good as you have heard. In the mid-60s he was a will-o-the-wisp who floated across the field with light steps and tremendous pace. By the 1971/72 season, his powers were waning a bit, but here he scored a hat-trick. The second was classic Best, coming in from the left and taking the ball left, then right, then left again, beating about four defenders, firing it over the goal and into the corner. Magical. Sorry about the drink.

Johan Cruyff against CSKA
The boy was a dancer, with the lightest of touches. The Ajax team of the early 70’s were so good and played a progressive kind of football that would have beaten most teams today. Against CSKA in the European Cup, in a 6-1 win, he played all the shots, swung right, then dropped a shoulder to go left, throwing off defenders as he did so. Then he threw in a Cruyff turn to finally get away from the last defender, now at the back and with blood twisted, Cruyff pushed it wide with his right foot and sent it to a striker. More like dancing than football, plus he looked like the lead guitarist in a prog rock band.

Tony Currie v Orient
He was Sheffield United’s maverick with impressive sideburns for many years before joining Dirty Leeds. Had good balance and vision mixed with talent. Here he cuts in from the right, pretends to go left, dumps one to the back, pretends to go right, dumps another to the back, flicks the ball up with his toe and volleys it into the net. And it only cost 75p to enter; Admittedly, you must look at the Orient as well.

Charlie Cooke v Spurs
Part of the early 70’s Blues team that won the FA Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup. Somewhat the reverse of Chopper Harris, he operated on the left wing and was a superb passer of the ball, weaving his spell for others to score.

On this play, he collects the ball initially unopposed, just above the halfway line, before burning down the wing as defenders swarm around him trying to bully him off the ball. But with deft feet he flicks it between two, flicks it left to beat another and crosses it for Peter Osgood to head home. Scored just 30 goals in around 370 games over two legs and was born in beautiful St. Monans in Fife, a picturesque former fishing village.

Liam Brady v Coventry
A mercurial force and one of Arsenal’s best ever players. I’ve rarely seen anyone with the better vision he combined with increasing pace and a left foot that would routinely and bizarrely be described as “a wand”, which, if my Sooty knowledge is correct, is a small wooden stick.

He was one of those players who, once he ran, the ball seemed to stick to his foot. In this game he collects the ball at the back of the center circle, sees a gap and shoots forward as defenders close in on him, pushes it left and right to beat them and arrives at the edge of the box free and ready to score. He played in Italy, you know.

Michel Platini against Inter Milan
You may know him as a sauce-sucking, probably corrupt FIFA body, but he was one of the best footballers in the world. While playing for Juventus, he once ran towards the defence, flicked the ball at speed past defenders and into the net. There wasn’t much he couldn’t do, including refusing free money from Sepp Blatter. That French team from 1984 would kick ass today.

Gabriel Batistuta against Manchester United
It still seems modern to me, even though he was at his peak 30 years ago. He looked like a rock star and scored incredible goals, sometimes running the length of the pitch to do it. This time the ball is played into him from midfield, he takes it 30 meters out with his back to goal, surrounded by defenders, rolls Jaap Stam, flicks it up, keeps the ball under control and absolutely belts it into the net. Not so much a dribble as phenomenal skill.

Looking at his goals now, even though he was a big star at the time, he has absolutely no equivalent today. Even the best looks worse than him.