The worst of times, the best of Best

When we watch old footage of the game's greats, we tend to think only of the good times: that it never rained, that they were always scoring great goals and winning trophies. Far from it. Football was more democratic in the 20th century, and even the best players had some hard times. Johan Cruyff, for example, won only one La Liga in five years at Barcelona; and in George Best's final six seasons at Old Trafford, United finished 11th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 18th and 21st. When he scored his famous lob against Spurs in February 1971, United were in 14th place, had gone out of both cups and hadn’t won a league game at Old Trafford since October.

Best helped change that with the opening goal in a 2-1 win. And United’s struggles do not diminish the tender majesty of this goal, which exists free of context on YouTube. Five things stand out. First, Best's little sprint to where his instinct told him the ball would go; second, the perfect arc of the lob, which bounces before it hits the net; third, the way the five Spurs players between Best and the goal turn their heads one at a time, as if choreographed, each realising that they had been stripped naked by genius; fourth, the effortlessly cool celebration; and fifth, Barry Davies turning into Bernard Matthews. Not that you could argue with his appraisal: “Beautiful. Ab-so-lutely beau-tiful.”