In the Sixties, Manchester United played with an invigorating collective swagger and their team was packed with matchwinners.
Denis Law, George Best and Bobby Charlton got the headlines, but winger John Connelly had a cutting edge, Brian Kidd had his moments, Pat Crerand kept the passes coming and Nobby Stiles tackled with passion. And left back Tony Dunne was almost bionic. He kicked more balls off the line than any full back I’ve ever seen
That was a gifted, competitive team who won the European Cup in 1968 without the injured Law.
Matt Busby was fulfilled at last.
There’s an aggressive panache in Manchester United’s DNA and it was evident again last night when a side with an average age of 22.9 produced a thrilling second half to annihilate Spurs in the first league game of the season at Old Trafford.
It was the second-youngest Manchester United team ever.
They had 24 goal attempts with 17 on target and 11 corners – and they didn’t concede.
The first half was end-to-end stuff, a game of fast-flowing action. But too scrappy and hectic.
United lacked the fluency and composure that was needed but it was clear after 20 minutes that they would out-run Spurs.
A Rooney chip was headed just wide by Ashley Young. If that header had sailed into the top corner, it would have been a textbook goal. Then Michael Dawson was booked for a bodycheck on Young.
At half-time, Gooner Kelvin phoned asking for some good news. I didn’t have any but promised to call him when I do.
During the break I was thinking: With Sky Sports, the weekend lasts four days! I was asking myself : Do I like Rooney’s jarhead haircut? Yes, Wayne is a marine. Do I miss Andy Gray? No, Gary Neville is less bombastic. Asking myself: When does my football season start? That’s an easy one. When I hear Martyin Tyler’s voice.
The first and third goals were headers in 61 and 87 by Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney. The second goal in 76 was a one-two between Anderson and Welbeck, who backheeled the ball beautifully to give the Brazilian powerhouse a sitter he slotted neatly.
It was still the forceful, penetrating Ango-Saxon football of the Sixties, with the flair and passion still coming from the Celtic fringes, from a Jones and a Rooney.
Welbeck said he knew the cross was coming from Tom Cleverley: “I’ve been playing with him since I was a young kid. As soon as I saw the ball rolled back to him, I knew exactly where he was gonna put it.”
Jarhead missed a difficult volley, then scored a header.
Sir Alex’s champions still play some spectacular football, still mix it up, still play broadsword football as well as rapier football, still score from headers and volleys, as Law, Best and Charlton did half a century ago.
Phil Jones wore No.4 and was phenomenal.
He was so immense that he reminded me of Colin Todd, who could do things that Bobby Moore couldn’t do. Colin Todd was a fast powerhouse who could win clean tackles in the penalty area without giving away a penalty and do that better than any footballer I’ve ever seen.
Colin Todd and Roy McFarland were awesome together for Brian Clough’s Derby County.
Phil Jones is a lion-heated defender who will have three lions on his shirt this season.
And Phil Jones was Wenger’s No.1 target, I’m now told.
He wanted Phil Jones, not Jagielka or Cahill.
Wenger met Jones on a Tuesday night, and Jones then met United the following day, I was informed this morning.
Northern boys prefer life in the North, as you know.
However, Chris Smalling is southern boy and an Arsenal supporter.
Kelvin, Arsenal have signed somebody: a 14-year old called Gideon something.
Oh well.