Cracking all-round performance against Leicester in the FA Cup final, our first trophy post Munich. Unbelievable how complete his game is, a real menace all over the pitch
A real classic and one for the ages, with di Stefano, Eusebio, Gento, Kopa, Masopust, Djalma Santos, Sir Bobby Moore, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Charlton, Lev Yashin, Schnellinger, Puskas etc on the same pitch.
A heated game against fierce rivals England, the reigning World Cup Champions, with Law putting in a total footballing masterclass yet again.
One of the best players on the pitch, no mean feat as the likes of Beckenbauer, Muller, Overath, Bremner etc featured in this important World Cup Qualifier.
(credit to youtube user ziggystardust405 for this comp)
Post 1 - Exclusive match compilations of Denis Law
Post 2 & 3 - Detailed Write-Up
Post 4 - Playing Style
Post 5, 6 & 7 - Quotes & Funny Anecdotes
Please feel free to contribute and express your thoughts on Denis Law (from what you've heard or read about him thus far), your opinions on the footage above and if possible, share anecdotes or any first hand experiences.
Artiste and assassin, entertainer and executioner, showman and swordsman - Denis Law. The name simply shimmers and sparkles with charisma. It whisks you off to a golden, bygone era when football truly was the beautiful game. Performing for his country, he was the Dark Blue Pimpernel, a character with a rare and spectacular combination of elegance and menace; a debonair destroyer; a master of improvisation; a contortionist in the box.
Denis was the showman supreme. He was more than a mere goal scorer whose cavalier thrusts and menacing darts brought panic to opposing defences. Law was an inspiration to those around him at club and country level and to younger generations of fans everywhere. Team-mates adored him, opponents feared him and fans revered him. He was a free spirit, an extrovert, a complete one-off, a rare combination of impudence and intelligence, class and clout. Denis Law is, was and always will be The King.
Huddersfield Town and Torino
Law started off his career at Huddersfield Town where he established himself as one of the game's most promising young talents.
Scottish team-mate Bobby Collins said:
We heard about the lad, of course. He was making a name for himself at Huddersfield Town, but you could only go by what you read in the newspapers. There weren't television cameras at every ground as there are today, so we were still a bit in the dark about this teenager. Sometimes the press can go a bit overboard and exaggerate the player's skills. Professionals like to make up their own minds. We saw him at first-hand against the Welsh that day and, boy, could that lad play. Within minutes you instinctively knew you were in the presence of someone special, very special.
Ray Wilson - Future World Cup winning team-mate at Huddersfield said:
We were staying at the same digs when Denis arrived. Honestly, we thought it must have been some mistake. He looked about 12 years old** and he told us he would be training with us. The following day we saw what he could do with a ball. We realised then he was a player. And what a player.
He is the bespectacled kid in the bottom right hand corner
At the age of 20, he moved to City, despite attempts from Liverpool and United, for a British record transfer fee of £55,000.
Although he enjoyed his time at City, he wanted to play for a less shite club who weren't hovering around relegation places, and thus after one season, he moved on to Torino for a whopping £115,000. For better context, 26 year old Luis Suárez - in his pomp, having won the Balon d'Or and several other trophies - moved to Inter Milan from Barcelona for a world record fee of £152,000 in the same window.
Law didn't have the greatest of times in Italy as he found the football there to be joyless and overly defensive, with him being subjected to violent man marking and heavy tackling on a frequent basis. It did prove to be an eye-opening experience for the young Scotsman though.
Denis Law said:
I have one thing to thank it for, though. It taught me all about man-marking. I hadn't encountered that before in English football. However, it was an accepted fact in Italy that you would be shadowed everywhere you went by an opponent; sometimes two. That sharpens your game.
Although his time in Italy was mixed, Law was voted the best foreign player in Italy ahead of Kurt Hamrin and the legendary Luis Suárez.
Manchester United
Once Law was on the market once more, Matt Busby was keen to sign him once again, but Chairman, Harold Hardman, hesitated as it would require payment of a record fee. Busby persuaded him, and Denis Law signed in August 1962 for yet another new British record - £115,000 - all by the age of 22.
In the summer of 1962 Lawmania would hit Old Trafford as fans instantly recognised a player brilliant enough to win games almost single-handedly. Over the next six years, he proved the catalyst for Matt Busby's final push for European glory and, though he missed the final in 1968, few doubted his influence. As distinguished Manchester United historian Brian Hughes makes clear, Law, more than any other player, typified United's flamboyance in this period.
Bobby Charton on the arrival of Law said:
I was delighted the Old Man had made a signing of such quality - it worked against the idea that the club would never touch the levels of consistent brilliance and excitement, that were achieved in the years before Munich. I told Denis this when he arrived for his first training session. I said "It's very good to have you around,' and he gave me that sidelong, slightly quizzical smile that would become so familiar to me down the years. It was as though a lot of the magic and the aura of the old United had been conjured up at a single stroke.
Denis Law proved to be a pivotal figure in his first season, as Untied won their first trophy since post Munich, the FA cup. He came 4th in the Ballon d'Or voting as he notched 29 goals in 44 appearances. Law particularly had a great cup campaign, as he scored 6 goals in 6 FA cup games and would leave an indelible mark on the final.
George Best said:
I had travelled to Wembley to watch United in the 1963 final with my Dad and instantly fell in love with the Cup Final and wanted to be a part of it. The excitement was gripping right from the start as United took control and reversed the odds against a strong Leicester City.
Within thirty minutes, United took the lead when Denis Law cracked an unstoppable shot past Gordon Banks. Minutes later he almost made it two from an individual run that left three defenders trailing, and when he beat Banks his shot was cleared off the line... and a header from Law rebounded off the post (in the dying minutes of the game)...
Banks and Law would go on to have plenty of great duels for both club and country with Banks commenting "I thought Denis was a great competitor. The press often referred to him as the Electric Eel. I think Electric Heel would have been more appropriate. He had such fast reactions in the penalty box that it was as if he was plugged into the mains. I will always remember - with mixed feelings - his remarkable performance for United against Leicester in the 1963 FA Cup Final. He produced one of the greatest forward displays ever seen at Wembley and inspired United to a 3-1 triumph."
Law would then go on to bang in a stunning 46 goals in 42 games in the next season - an unprecedented feat which landed him the prestigious Ballon d'Or, making him the first ever Untied player to win it.
Law himself was surprised with the award - “Maybe there was a mistake in the mathematics,” he suggested humbly.
After all, Luis Suárez was the mastermind of Inter Milan’s 1964 European Cup and World Club Championship double. For good measure, he was the best player in the year’s European Nations’ Cup, which Spain won.
However, Law's stunning goalscoring exploits were too much to ignore, albeit it being in a trophy-less season and he won the Ballon d'Or over Luis Suárez by 18 points.
United fans absolutely adored him and idolised him. The King duly repaid their adulation with 237 goals in 404 matches during 11 seasons, which produced one FA Cup (1963), two League Championships under his captaincy (1965, 1967) and the European Cup (1968).
Martin Edwards said:
Matt Busby always said of all players he had, the greatest was Law. I’d have to agree with that. I was a teenager in those days, going along to watch matches with Father. To me, Denis from 1963 to ’67 was unbelievable. In the same way you could say Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy did in 2003, or Cantona did in ’96, he won the League for us in ’65. He was just outstanding.
One of his many personal highlights came when he was selected to play in a FIFA World XI, where he found himself rubbing shoulders with his hero Di Stefano.
Denis Law said:
I had watched Real Madrid on television beating Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3. I was enthralled by the quality of play, the goals and everything about this fascinating spectacle. Puskas scored four and di Stefano hit three. I watched that game in awe, little realising that only three years later, I would be playing alongside them in the Rest of the World side.
And so there The King was, poised to stride forth into the world stage ready to strut his stuff alongside the 'Black Panther', The 'Black Octopus', The 'Blond Arrow' and the 'Galloping Major'.
After the Wembley extravaganza, the much decorated Brazilian defender Djalma Santos, winner of two World Cup medals in 1958 and 62, was asked who he believed was the most accomplished performer in the game. In a hesitant combination of Portugese and English, he answered, 'Number eight. Law. Muchos'. Anyone who had ever witnessed Denis Law going through his unrivalled repertoire at his unsurpassable peak, would have known exactly what Santos meant. No translation was required.
The mid-sixties saw Denis rightly don the mantel 'King' of Old Trafford, for while Bobby Charlton was respected and George Best adored, Law was a fan's footballer, living out the dreams of his admirers before the Stretford End. Even his (non-existent) role in United's eventual fall from grace and relegation to the Second Division didn't dim the supporters' affection for him. Quite simply he remains 'the King'.
Many seem to have this warped conception that Law was a speedy and pure goalscorer in the mould of a Greaves or a Romario, who primarily operated on the shoulder of the last man and solely focused on putting the ball into the net. No. Law had much much more in his locker. Whilst Law was a goal-scoring supremo, do not make the mistake of underestimating his all-round game. As a player, Law had everything - flair, bravery, the ruthlessness streak, technique and the magical ability to keep fans right on the edge of their seats.
As Law himself said
My favourite player was Alfredo di Stefano, the great Real Madrid star. He could score goals, but he could also perform all over the pitch. That's the way I wanted to play. I liked to play inside-forward. But Matt felt differently and I wasn't happy. Of course, I was delighted to score a goal or two but, in that role, you could miss a lot of the game. I always wanted to be involved.
It's no wonder that the fans of the Stretford End were quick to crown him as their 'King' when he moved to Manchester United from Torino in 1962. He was in the early years of his incredible career, but he had already stamped his mark on the game. Lightning quick, fearless, dynamic, good with both feet, spectacular - and sometimes unbelievably devastating - in the air, he was as near as damn it the perfect goalscoring individual.
Anyone who saw him in his halycon days was privileged in the extreme to see a total footballing craftsman in action and I'm immensely proud to say that he's a Scotsman.
He cost around £100 000, big money for a British player in those days. The speed and technical brilliance of Law reminded the supporters of their former hero, Valentino Mazzola. They had never seen anyone quite as quick-thinking as Denis. He was always two or three moves ahead. It was a pity he only stayed a year.
I admired Denis as a player because he was exceptional and very different from a lot of British players from his era. Then British football was characterised by stamina and determination of the players, who had excellent physical fitness. This is true, too of other European countries - including the Germans, who are superbly prepared physically. But the British and the Germans, generally, both lacked technique. I have played against Denis Law quite a few times and have also played with him for FIFA and UEFA representative teams.
Law is a very fine footballer and thoroughly deserved the European Footballer of the Year award he gained in 1964. He as a good team man with fine individual skills.
When I signed Denis I knew that we had the most exciting player in the game. He was the quickest-thinking player I ever saw, seconds quicker than anyone else. He had the most tremendous acceleration and could leap to enormous heights to head the ball with almost unbelievable accuracy and often the power of a shot. He had the courage to take on the biggest and most ferocious of opponents and his passing was impeccable. He was one of the most unselfish players I have ever seen. If he was not in the best position to score, he would give the ball to someone who was. When a chance was on for him. even only half a chance, or in some cases, no chance at all for anybody but for him, whether he had his back to goal, was sideways on, or the ball was on the deck or up at shoulder-height, he would have it in the net with such power and acrobatic ability that colleagues and opponents alike could only stand and gasp. No other player scored as many miracle goals as Denis Law. Goals which looked simple as Denis tapped them in, were simple only because Denis got himself into position so quickly that opponents just couldn't cope with him.
His first touch was very good, with your first touch, you control the ball, which gives you more time and space to play. The more touches, the more time and space. All the great players have this, and Denis had it to a very high degree, at speed, in competitive matches. I was with Denis for about a year at United, after his move from Italy, and I never heard him talk much about the game. He was just a great talent, who went out there and did it. He was a good header of the ball and reasonable on both sides, but the main thing about Denis was that he was the most dynamic player I have ever seen, and I'd include everyone in that, be they English, Irish, Italian or Spanish. He had this natural urgency and aggression which meant that if the ball broke loose, he would be the first onto it, smacking it into the back of the net. With his quick reflexes, he could not be stopped. If he was going to head it, he'd do that too, into the back of the net.
Denis was always full of enthusiasm for the game and full of awareness. He scored the goals that one should score. It sounds funny saying that. A lot of players score spectacular goals, but don't score the ones they should score. Denis didn't blast the ball or try to burst the net. All he wanted to do was get the ball over the line. If Denis was through on his own with only the goalkeeper to beat, you could get your tea out and drink it - it was going to be a goal. Every player should be taught what to do in any given situation; Law always knew what to do. If the keeper stayed on the line, he would take the ball right up to him and say: "Thanks very much," before slipping it into the net. If the keeper came out, he sidestepped him, angled himself and put it into an empty net. Law was quicker than most inside the box. NO keeper stood a chance when he had a sniff at goal.
On his fiery and competitive yet light-hearted nature
Sir Alex Ferguson said:
There are not a lot of years between Denis and myself, but I list him as one of my heroes, and a close friend.
He was my hero. He typified my idea of a Scottish footballer. He was dashing, he was mischievous. He was everything I wanted to be. There were occasions when you were just waiting for Denis to cause trouble. A lot of Scots can do that, you know. It was his way of telling the world, "You're not going to kick me." He had wonderful courage and daring. There is a lot in Denis Law that we Scots appreciate. He was pure theatre and knew how to work the crowd. I saw him make his debut against Wales at Ninian Park in Cardiff in 1958 and I watched him (as a 18 year old) in his next game against Northern Ireland when he kicked their captain Danny Blanchflower up and down the park! He was told to mark the great Spurs player, but he took it too literally. He was only 18 years old at the time, too, and Danny was one of the best players in Britain. I think it was Pele who said Denis was the only British player who could get into the Brazilian team. That says it all.
What the fans loved most about Denis, I believe, was his incredible aggression and self-belief. There were times when he seemed to define urgency on a football field and there was always a gleam in his eye. They never made a big centre-half who could induce in Denis, even a flicker of apprehension.
One of the most amazing things I witnessed was his decision to take on Big Ron Yeats, the man once described as the 'New Colossus' by his Liverpool manager Bill Shankly. Denis scarcely came up to the man's shoulder, but he was in his face throughout the game, chivvying, needling, always at the point of maximum danger. I remember thinking, "This is ridiculous, impossible," and for anyone else but Denis it certainly would have been.
Denis was a great competitor. I'll never forget going for a cross in a game at Elland Road and, as I went to volley the ball clear, suddenly Denis was diving over me and heading it into the net. I kicked Denis right in the mouth. I really walloped him - not deliberately, of course. Anyway, I remember Denis lying on his back and there's blood and everything coming out of his nose and mouth while the trainer was sponging him down. I was standing over him and he started to come to. He looked up at me and smiled, "Did I score, big fella?"
I remember one day in training at Manchester United when Bill Foulkes, our big, strapping, powerful centre-half, knocked Denis to the ground. Now, remember, Bill had been working down the mines and only quit at the age of 20, when he broke through in football. He was an authentic tough guy. What happened next? Denis got up and punched him. Bill hit him back and the next thing everyone was piling in. Denis gave as good as he got.
Look, the best way to judge that is you've got to go to some places like Argentina, where you know it's going to be tough, or maybe behind the Old Iron Curtain. And you're playing for your life. Who are you going to pick?
Certain names would be mentioned straight away for such an assignment - there would be Norman Hunter, Dave Mackay, Cliff Jones, Bobby Collins and I would add John Robertson, though John wasn't exactly a killer either. And you will go for Denis Law rather than Jimmy Greaves, because Denis may be remembered almost entirely for his goal-scoring brilliance but he was also a very aggressive player, and in fact in some circumstances would take your head off. Yes, for such a trip to the wilds of Argentina, you would need these hard nuts, the gladiatorial types.
When it comes to strikers, there was none braver or more aggressive than Denis Law. My Scotland team-mate may have looked puny, but he had the heart of a lion and would have fought with his shadow. He was also deceptively strong and fought for every ball, but it was in the air that Denis really excelled. He seemed to have the capacity to hang in the air when he jumped for the ball. When I met him for the first time, Denis made an instant impression; he had an almost magical aura because of his personality. Denis is actually quite a private person but he was a truly great player.
Denis was a revelation when he played and he had few poor games for Scotland. His electrifying darts into the penalty box allied to his sharp reflexes were his strongest assets. He also had a wonderful sense of anticipation, which enable him to snap up half-chances when the ball broke off the goalkeeper or a defender, but perhaps people were less aware of how tough and durable Denis was, Denis as as hard as nails. He gave and took knocks without complaint. His incredible timing and his ability to appear to almost hover in the air meant he had to be brave when he jumped with a defender.
In fact, I will never forget when we clashed right in front of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at Wembley. I know Denis blamed me for the incident, but I still have the bruises. Kick Denis first? I should be so lucky. He was a real will o' the wisp player, as sharp as a needle and lightning fast in his movements, with a brain to match. The advice I always used to give to anyone who had to mark him was track, mark and tackle.... and always weak shin pads!
Law was a showman on the pitch and there was never a dull moment on or off the field with Law around but beneath all the joking, Denis Law was a deadly serious footballer. Above all he wanted to win : it didn't matter if it was playing cards at the back of a bus or an FA Cup Final. He did not like to lose, and in the intensely competitive atmosphere of the game, it made him a good man to have on your side. Even in practice games, he liked to win. In training he might challenge you to, say, a series of three games at head tennis. But if he won the first two and therefore the rubber, he had no interest in playing out the third; he had won, and so off he went.
He was a fabulous guy to be around, a real man's man. I made my Scotland debut against Holland in Amsterdam in May 1959. Denis was playing that day, too, and we hit it off. He oozed charisma, but was far from being big-headed. He was just one of the lads and never came across as Billy Big-Time.
He was a dream to play alongside, too. Utterly unselfish. There was none of this superstar stuff with Denis. No chance. He was one of the boys and raced around and chased the ball all day. You watch some of the petulant prima donnas strutting around and preening themselves and I can tell you they haven't got a fraction of the talent of the ability Denis possessed. He was genuine class, no argument.
On my debut, it got a bit untidy at one stage and I can assure you Denis wasn't slow to get in there with some Dutch heavyweights. There were tackles flying around everywhere and the Dutch fans were baying for blood. There were over 55,000 in the ground, as I recall, and it couldn't have been more competitive if it had been the World Cup Final. You look at Denis and there isn't a pick on him. He certainly didn't take one of those Charles Atlas courses that were around at the time. You know the ones I mean. The advertisement of this muscle-bound bloke, posing in tight swimming trunks, saying, "You, too,can have a body like mine. No-one will ever kick sand in your face." Denis would have probably made mincemeat of him. It was only too easy to be impressed by Denis. There wasn't an awful lot of him, but he really got stuck in. It's rare that a guy who is so obviously gifted gets involved in the physical side of things. There are some blokes out there who can play football alright, but they couldn't tackle a fish supper. Not Denis. I never saw him shirk a challenge in my life.'
As my contribution to the side improved I felt more and more at home. I was "big" enough to even answer Denis Law back, and that was brave for me. When I was first came into the side, I hardly dared speak to him, and all that Law had said to me was, "How are you going, son?" accompanied, I might say, with a clip on the ear.
But I was lucky to start out alongside such a player. World class. Truly, not simply a figment of the media's imagination. I must say that my first reaction when I heard I was in the team, was not so much one of worry, as the feeling that with such skilful players around, I just couldn't go wrong.
Soon after I got established in the team, I found I was at outside left with Law my inside partner. Even in my first season, when I was on the right wing as all the forward places were being mixed and matched, Law was playing inside right. I think we hit it off quite quickly on the field, and off it for that matter, though we are very different people.
Denis Law was a livewire, always in a hurry, and despite his experience and achievements, he always got very nervous before a game. He also couldn't bear to watch the team if he was missing from a game and there was a lot at stake; he would rather sit it out in the dressing room. I was always asked at this time, what it was like to play alongside Law. It was the easiest question to answer: it was a dream, a tremendous experience because he did things so much faster than most other players. If a pass from Denis Law failed to reach you, it was odds on that you were not thinking fast enough to be in the right place for it.
The goalkeeper, Stepney. He's no good in the air and he's not much better on the ground,' Shankly said. He's so wee he's got to jump for the low balls. What's the difference between Stepney and Jesus Christ? Jesus saves. And the full-backs, Brennan and Dunne, a couple of clapped-out Paddies, that's what they are, should have been put out to grass years ago. Nobby Stiles, as blind as a bat, runs around the field like a headless chicken, not worth talking about, that lad. Foulkes? Ancient. Older than me. He wasn't even any good when he was young. Sadler needs watching, but no-one ever passes to him so no problems there. The boy Morgan can run a bit, but he can't beat an egg and the other lad, Kidd, can't hold the ball. Big girl's blouse. This team is a shambles. You'll take them apart. You'll run up a cricket score. No problem'.
The Liverpool captain, Emlyn Hughes, put up his hand up at the end of the team talk. 'Boss, you haven't mentioned Best, Law or Charlton,' he said. Shankly glared at him. 'Christ, Emlyn, you're worried that you can't beat a team with just three players?'
In a more reflective moment, Shankly would admit, 'If we were playing Manchester United, I'd never talk about Best, Law or Charlton. If we did, we'd frighten ourselves to death.
Law's lightning reflexes did get him into trouble at times. He had acted in the past out of instinct more than anything else, with dire consequences for himself, although we did remind him that his two suspensions did allow him to spend two Christmases in succession at home in Scotland!
His first sending-off was before I was in the team. The squad was on the coach on the way down to play Aston Villa. Law had been planning to make a quick getaway after the match to catch a plane home to Scotland for a romantic rendezvous with his fiancee. His team-mates told him he would never make it to the airport on time. He said : "Perhaps I'll get sent off". He did.
He and fellow Scot Paddy Crerand made a comic pair. They would spend hours in slanging matches, arguing about who was the ugliest player in football, though in my view they were among the contenders. Often they would wave from the team bus so enthusiastically that they confused innocent passer-by into thinking they must know them.
Harry Gregg on the European Cup game against Benfica said:
Harry Gregg recalled Paddy Crerand being on the receiving end of a verbal salvo from Law before a European Cup game against Benfica in 1966. 'We had won 3-2 in the first leg at Old Trafford, so obviously, we were all a bit uptight at meeting this great Portugese side in front of their own fans at the famous Stadium of Light. Before the kick-off, we were all sitting there going through our usual routines. I recall it was a lovely dressing room and one wall was completely covered with a mirror. Pat Crerand was standing around juggling the ball from foot to foot.
The next thing we knew there was this tremendous crash. The mirror was on the floor, smashed to smithereens. Denis let rip at his fellow Scot. The language was choice. The last word was hooligan and I'll let you fill in the blanks before it. Some footballers can be a bit superstitious. What do you get for breaking a mirror? Sever years bad luck? Crerand had taken down an entire wall! What could we now expect when we ran onto the pitch to face Benfica? Almost straight away George Best scored with a header. At half-time we were 3-0 up and I'll never forget what Crerand said to the Lawman in the dressing room during the interval. He looked at him and, completely stone-face, asked, "Can someone else find another mirror?" The place just cracked up.
Nice tribute. The number of all-time United XI's posted on here that don't include Law. . . madness. Great captain too, a real leader, hard as nails and with a lot of attitude.
Nice tribute. The number of all-time United XI's posted on here that don't include Law. . . madness. Great captain too, a real leader, hard as nails and with a lot of attitude.
A lot of people like to think they can only use players they have seen in these teams, and so often I see only players from the 80's onwards. I struggle with Law as I was brought up on how good he was, but my dad and his friends would talk Tommy Taylor up as well. So I often switch them two around, in my all time teams.
Not much to add to that, brilliant presentation of him, loved the read. Such an underrated player in general and I guess everybody had that moment where they first got to watch him and you go from thinking he's some old legendary striker to an all-round great.
I had the pleasure of seeing him playing live once at Goodison Park late 60's/early 70's.
Midway through the second half we got a corner and George Best was shaping up to take it when Denis jogged over to him, one of the Everton defenders followed him thinking they were going to take a short corner, Denis just jogged straight past Best and blew his nose on the corner flag!
I was a nine year old Leyton Orient fan when I sat down and watched the 1963 Cup Final with my Dad,Denis converted me to a Man Utd supporter within 90 minutes!
Have met him on several occasions and for me he will always be the King of Old Trafford!Can you imagine him playing on today's surfaces and with referee protection?The man was a genius!
Denis Law is for me the best central attacking threat in the history of british football.. note I don't use the term 'striker' or 'number 9' as that would be doing him an injustice, he was a force of nature who could drift across the attack, drop deep and playmake, and also be a fox in the box. He was truly complete and way ahead of his time.
My 4 favourite strikers that I have watched in the modern era at United during my lifetime were Cantona, Ruud, Rooney and (controversially) Tevez. For me Law incorporated the best elements of all their styles of play and attributes, whilst encapsulating exactly what it means to be a Manchester United player.
He had Cantona's leadership, presence and aura... he was an icon, the 'King' both on and off the pitch. He had Ruud's eye for goal, and consistency (171 goals in 309 appearances), Rooney's ability to get involved with all facets of play.. playmaking, spreading the play, putting in a tackle and Tevez's aggression, dribbling ability .. weaving in and out of defenders and shrugging off defenders twice the size of him.
In terms of classic strikers who unfairly get labelled as just 9's, but were much more than that he reminds me of Seeler in that respect. Their all-round games were exceptional and in the current game, they would be the best strikers in the world, that's how timeless their games were.
Nice thread. Very difficult to argue against Law as the greatest forward we've ever had. Tommy Taylor's record was also amazing but tragically cut short.
Question is where would you guys rate Denis Law amongst all time greats in world football (compared to other central attacking players i.e. 9's/SS/10's) ?
I had the pleasure of seeing him playing live once at Goodison Park late 60's/early 70's.
Midway through the second half we got a corner and George Best was shaping up to take it when Denis jogged over to him, one of the Everton defenders followed him thinking they were going to take a short corner, Denis just jogged straight past Best and blew his nose on the corner flag!
Question is where would you guys rate Denis Law amongst all time greats in world football (compared to other central attacking players i.e. 9's/SS/10's) ?
It's hard to say but I'd have Muller, Ronaldo, van Basten and Romario leading the pack, with the likes of Law, Kocsis, Nordahl, Seeler lagging slightly behind.
Like you mentioned though, he's arguably the greatest British forward of all time and his all round game was something else. Speaks volumes that he slotted right into the Rest of the World side, featuring the likes of di Stefano, Raymond Kopa, Eusebio, Gento, Yashin, Schnellinger, Masopust, Djalma Santos and the likes of Puskas and Seeler in the 2nd half, and not only that was the best player on that side - arguably the greatest XI to ever set foot on a pitch, can't think of any better myself. Keep in mind that most of these stars didn't speak English and it was probably the first time playing together for most of these guys, yet the movement, link-up play and the football they played was something else, and Law was right at the fore of it.
I had the pleasure of seeing him playing live once at Goodison Park late 60's/early 70's.
Midway through the second half we got a corner and George Best was shaping up to take it when Denis jogged over to him, one of the Everton defenders followed him thinking they were going to take a short corner, Denis just jogged straight past Best and blew his nose on the corner flag!
I grew up with that era. Denis was a genius. People don't realise what a great tackler he was. He had everything. If he wast the best number 10 we ever had he would have been the best number 6. He was not very tall but had this ability to hang in the air and score goals with his head that other taller players couldn't. He is my all time favorite United player and I have been following united since 1960. He is truly the king. Did you know that Denis Bergkamp was named after him. The English press was so anti Scotland and United in those days hat he was voted European Footballer of the year but never won the equivalent English award
A real genius
I grew up with that era. Denis was a genius. People don't realise what a great tackler he was. He had everything. If he wast the best number 10 we ever had he would have been the best number 6. He was not very tall but had this ability to hang in the air and score goals with his head that other taller players couldn't. He is my all time favorite United player and I have been following united since 1960. He is truly the king. Did you know that Denis Bergkamp was named after him. The English press was so anti Scotland and United in those days hat he was voted European Footballer of the year but never won the equivalent English award
A real genius
Good points. it's amazing really, his game in the box alone, would put most centre-forwards to shame but when you combine his attacking game with his industry, mobility, link-up play, aggression and ability to play both as the deadly focal point and the facilitative, fluid and mobile link-up forward, it's something else altogether.
As you guys mentioned, he was a gem of a team-mate and a great personality in the dressing room, with his witty, jovial and amiable character, but he was a fierce competitor on the pitch and took no prisoners.
"I played alongside Denis for Scotland one Wednesday," recalled Billy Bremner, "then the following weekend, played against him in a Leeds-Man Utd game. I thought to myself `I'm playing against Denis, so if I go for a 50-50 ball I'll take it easy 'cause he's my big pal'. Christ, he nearly killed me in the first tackle.
`Den! What was that about?' I asked him. `No friends on the park, son,' he replied. And that was a lesson I remembered throughout my football life."
An old-fashioned gentleman off the pitch, Law admits that he did not always like what he saw when he watched himself on television. "I hated watching Match of the Day or whatever. I found it really embarrassing. The character impersonating me on the screen was nothing like me in real life. He couldn't be: throwing punches at someone, glaring at the linesman, arguing with the referee or making rude signs. I could understand people watching me and thinking `what the hell's up with him?' "
Thoughts on the above? I tend to think describing Law simply as a poacher and a #9 overlooks Law's creative contribution. Does anyone else agree that was Law just a fox-in-the box, or something more?
Thoughts on the above? I tend to think describing Law simply as a poacher and a #9 overlooks Law's creative contribution. Does anyone else agree that was Law just a fox-in-the box, or something more?
Fair enough. Just curious but what was the consensus amongst the United faithful when he moved to City? He had already played for City prior to United and was released by Docherty wasn't he? So was there any ill-feeling about that move?
Iirc, Law himself states somewhere (probably in that interview above, can't remember), that the rivalry wasn't so fierce (tribalistic would be a better term), and it was friendly but competitive. Maybe I'm imagining that .
Fair enough. Just curious but what was the consensus amongst the United faithful when he moved to City? He had already played for City prior to United and was released by Docherty wasn't he? So was there any ill-feeling about that move?
Iirc, Law himself states somewhere (probably in that interview above, can't remember), that the rivalry wasn't so fierce (tribalistic would be a better term), and it was friendly but competitive. Maybe I'm imagining that .
Again too young to remember. At a guess, I would think most United fans understood he was past his best and was just playing out what remained of his career.
One or two things to add, during his interview with Turner, he changed his story about his trademark salute, one arm raised, clutching the cuff with forefinger pointing skyward. He used to say that he started an apprenticeship as a painter and decorator and the salute was a throwback to the way he held the paintbrush. I suspect the snotty nose version is nearer the truth, knowing there'd be no consequences of such vulgarity these days. Needless to say, as kids, we all copied the clutched cuff.
The fact he never won footballer of the year was probably due to the sportsmanship element that was supposedly a part of the deal then. After such paragons of virtue like Matthews, Wright, Blanchflower etc, he was seen as a bit too feisty and reactionary for the blazers at Lancaster Gate, although his run ins with defenders were more a reaction/retaliation after being kicked all game with little or no protection from refs.
He certainly scored some spectacular goals, including his favoured overhead kick but really, I must say I always enjoyed his scruffy goals where he was always quicker and more aggressive in getting a loose ball over the line than anyone else.
That brought back some really special memories, so thanks again, Joga. That was really enjoyable.
Yeah, remember that too. Bigger than real life fresco of The King on the outside pub wall. Notably, in a Scotland shirt, to avoid arguments between reds and blues. Must have a google to see if there's a photo online, anywhere.
One or two things to add, during his interview with Turner, he changed his story about his trademark salute, one arm raised, clutching the cuff with forefinger pointing skyward. He used to say that he started an apprenticeship as a painter and decorator and the salute was a throwback to the way he held the paintbrush. I suspect the snotty nose version is nearer the truth, knowing there'd be no consequences of such vulgarity these days. Needless to say, as kids, we all copied the clutched cuff.
The fact he never won footballer of the year was probably due to the sportsmanship element that was supposedly a part of the deal then. After such paragons of virtue like Matthews, Wright, Blanchflower etc, he was seen as a bit too feisty and reactionary for the blazers at Lancaster Gate, although his run ins with defenders were more a reaction/retaliation after being kicked all game with little or no protection from refs.
He certainly scored some spectacular goals, including his favoured overhead kick but really, I must say I always enjoyed his scruffy goals where he was always quicker and more aggressive in getting a loose ball over the line than anyone else.
That brought back some really special memories, so thanks again, Joga. That was really enjoyable.
