After Barcelona’s beautiful display at the Emirates, David Lacey recalls six other aesthetically pleasing sides

Tottenham Hotspur (1959-60)

The pre-Double Spurs side sticks in the mind because of the impact it had on an era dominated by the breathless, long-passing style of Stan Cullis’s Wolves. The subtler, more-thoughtful football of Bill Nicholson’s team gave the English game a new learning.

Real Madrid (1959-60)

Even when seen on a tiny NAAFI screen, Real Madrid’s performance in beating Eintracht Frankfurt 7‑3 at Hampden in the European Cup final shone out as one of the finest displays of attacking football ever seen. And amid all the colour and HD, it still does.

Real Zaragoza (1965-66)

Don Revie’s Leeds expected to beat Real Zaragoza in a Fairs Cup semi-final playoff at Elland Road but were given a lesson in passing, movement and pure skill by the Magnificent Five – Canario, Santos, Marcelino, Villa, La Petra – and lost 3-1.

West Ham United (1966-67)

Ron Greenwood’s West Ham team met Leeds in the League Cup and won 7-0 with a performance approaching perfection. An abiding image is of Johnny Byrne, with Jack Charlton up his back, bouncing the ball three times on an instep before volleying Geoff Hurst clear.

Brazil (1970)

Brazil’s performance in the 1970 World Cup final has never been surpassed and the last of their goals in the 4-1 defeat of Italy is widely regarded as the best ever scored. Perhaps, perhaps not, but if any team has bettered the build-up and Pele’s final pass to Carlos Alberto they have kept quiet about it.

Milan (1988-89)

Four days after Hillsborough, the San Siro sang You’ll Never Walk Alone and Milan beat Real Madrid 5-0 in the European Cup semi-final with a performance which was more about art than conflict and saw Ruud Gullit start, mould and execute a goal of sheer beauty.

European footballReal MadridBrazilMilanReal ZaragozaTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedDavid Laceyguardian.co.uk

The next eight days will tell us much about the merits of West Ham’s likeable manager

Last Saturday night, having absorbed the pain of West Ham sinking deeper into the mire after they had lost that afternoon to his once beloved Chelsea, Gianfranco Zola loosened his tie and stretched out his legs. He relaxed and, in his engaging way, reflected on “the passion and suffering of managing a football club”. Zola said those heavy words lightly, his famous jaw-cracking smile proving he had lost none of his warmth or understanding of real life.

Fifteen minutes earlier the West Ham manager had been announced as this year’s Man of Peace – an award decided by former recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize and given to an individual who has made “an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace”. Former winners, in a blurring of showbiz entertainment and liberal sentiment, include Bob Geldof, George Clooney and Bono.

Zola is more self-effacing so it was not surprising that, rather than bask in the adulation, he should turn to this interview instead. It allowed him to talk at length about football and the addictive agonies of managing West Ham. But first, away from the gaze of all those who came to honour him, Zola shook his head. “You know,” he said, “my father is not alive but he would have been very proud tonight. And my mum, who still lives in Sardinia, is obviously delighted.”

Zola seemed touchingly confused by his elevation to the great and the good. He had transformed many British suspicions of the ‘foreign footballer’ when he played for Chelsea, and become a cherished figure, while he now works quietly and occasionally for Unicef. But, for the most part, the 43-year-old is immersed in the solemn trials of management. “I got this call telling me I had won and I thought it was a joke. I’m just a simple footballer and people who have received the prize before have done really great things.”

None of them, however, has had to cope with the maddening vagaries of life at Upton Park or a new chairman like David Sullivan who, soon after taking over the club, questioned whether Zola was “too nice” and “too soft” to succeed as a manager. And no other Man of Peace has been embroiled in a relegation dog-fight which, after West Ham visit Arsenal today, sees decisive home fixtures, next Tuesday and Saturday, against Wolves and Stoke.

These eight days will tell us much about Zola’s merits as a manager and go a significant way to determining whether West Ham are relegated. Portsmouth look doomed but Hull and Burnley, currently in the drop zone, are only three points behind West Ham. “This has been a troubled season and we are still looking for a way to get out. But in this country they say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Zola paused and patted his heart. “I’m still breathing, so I still have hope. But it has been difficult. I came to West Ham with a specific project – to develop a strong team and a top club. But 10 days after I arrived [in September 2008] the club experienced a very big financial problem. Our chairman [Björgólfur Guðmundsson] went bankrupt.”

The Italian still enjoyed a productive first season. “It was brilliant. We nearly qualified for Europe. This season we thought the financial situation would be better but other problems came up like a Matryoshka – the Russian doll where you open up one to find another and another. We are still opening and finding more problems. Some people said most managers don’t go through the same things in 10 years.”

Zola shrugged. Even his Man of Peace prize could bolster Sullivan’s accusation that Zola might be closer to Ossie Ardiles, a decent human being but a failed manager, than a footballing man of war like the scheming José Mourinho. “The chairman is the chairman. He is entitled to his opinion. People think because I’m a nice person I’m a weak person. But I don’t think being nice means you don’t know how to take tough decisions. I have coped with that before and I’ll cope with it again. The chairman and I spoke and clarified things. Now there is no problem.”

Yet Sullivan also angered Zola when, just before West Ham played Birmingham last month, he suggested the players and staff would have to accept a 25% wage cut next season. Zola nodded wryly. “He said he did that because he wanted to motivate the players. It’s OK. We won and we spoke after the game. We came out having made clear our position to each other. And since then the situation has become better.”

Zola is compassionate and sensitive – not always the best attributes for a manager. “It is a job where you have to make decisions that affect other people. That’s the part I found most difficult – when you pick a team and you have to leave out a young player or someone who has suffered all week. He would be willing to die for you but you have to pick the players you believe will win that game. So you leave him out. That’s not easy – trust me. But it’s becoming easier because you have a duty.”

West Ham were still overwhelmed at Stamford Bridge last week. Zola received a rapturous welcome but his popularity could not mask his team’s deficiencies as they lost 4-1. “At 1-1 we were doing OK. Then Chelsea took advantage of every mistake. When I go to bed tonight the award will sweeten the pain but I will lie there thinking why things didn’t work. As a footballer I was focused 90 minutes of a match – and then I went home and switched off. But in this job the hour-and-a-half of the match is the relaxing bit.”

As for other great former footballers, management provides a test in how to convey seemingly simple tasks to lesser players. “When you are a talented footballer you rely on your abilities to win games. You use your skills without thinking. But in management that doesn’t work.”

Zola cited his friend Diego Maradona, whom he played with at Napoli, to pinpoint an extreme case of a footballing genius struggling in management. “With Diego at Argentina it’s similar to my situation. Up and down. Inside of him there is so much football knowledge. If he is able to get it out and pass it on to his players it will be fantastic. He has to find a way to do that because, for him, it came so easily on the pitch.” Despite Argentina’s chaotic World Cup qualification campaign, Zola said: “With Diego you never know and, looking at their quality, I put them alongside Brazil and England to win it.”

That name-checking of England seemed another example of Zola’s cursed “niceness”. Why else would he look to England, ahead of Spain, as Brazil’s likeliest challengers? “I’m not just saying that. England have a real chance because they are a strong team with a very good manager. I always had the impression England never came to competitions with freedom of mind. They are so afraid of mistakes. In football you need freedom to try things. But [Fabio] Capello will help. He will give them a lot of belief and motivation.”

Before Zola went to West Ham there were persistent rumours that Capello would offer him a coaching role with England. “There was a lot of talk but I never spoke to Fabio. It would have been a big honour because Capello is one of the best. In that period I was having a good time working with [Pierluigi] Casiraghi and Italy U-21s. “

Even Capello’s famed decisiveness has been undermined by England’s ongoing soap-opera. “The English love this sort of thing,” Zola said. “They like the gossip. In Italy we don’t like it. But here it’s constant and in my opinion it doesn’t help England.” Had Zola spoken to John Terry, his disgraced former Chelsea team-mate? “We had a good chat [last Saturday]. He’s OK. He’s a strong boy.”

Zola and Terry could hardly be more different, a fact which the Italian acknowledged even while arguing that his more rounded and altruistic perspective was not unusual in football.

Today’s opponent, Arsène Wenger, is a more suitable contemporary. “We do talk,” Zola said of Wenger. “The last time he came to West Ham to watch a reserve game we spoke a lot. He’s a manager I really like. I like his style of football and his management.”

Despite his urbanity, Wenger has an edge which allows him to compete avidly at the highest level. “They have a real chance of winning the title,” Zola acknowledged. “And, against Porto, they were great. It’s a long time since I saw a team playing such good football.”

His Saturday night was almost over but the Man of Peace was not quite done. To bolster the iron in his soul, Zola recalled the last time he had taken West Ham to the Emirates. Wenger then hailed West Ham, in January 2009, as the best team in the Premier League after they continued a long unbeaten run with a 0-0 draw at Arsenal. “It was a very good spell,” Zola said. “Arsenal were passing the ball around, as they do, but we defended really well. We need to do the same [today].”

Zola looked up, his eyes flashing. And then he smiled more sweetly again. “It’s difficult to know what will happen. But I like what I’m doing at West Ham and the fans are great. I hope I can pay them back – and show them all that I’m nice but strong.”

West Ham UnitedPremier LeagueDonald McRaeguardian.co.uk

Today’s piffle is dazed and confused

The Mill is no stranger to starting off quite smartly and really seeming to be going somewhere and putting on quite a show before without quite anybody unless you don’t it’s not totally unsure whether if it really and never in effect not making a great somehow deal of sense. Far too often the Mill has found itself striding forth with an air of brilliant unbreakable clear blue jaw-clenching although suddenly not quite what was that where’s my glove think I dropped it where going lost behind can’t seem to get maybe just sit down.

Perhaps this explains why the Mill is such a big fan of Nani, a player who also always seems to be on the verge of maybe go back and start oh no maybe one last little…. ah. Nani is of course a genuinely fascinating character, a Willo The Wisp that one moment appears to be a dancing swamp sprite, the next a rather disappointing gaseous methane cloud. He’s a paradox wrapped up in a reversible jacket that while quite flash and nifty at first doesn’t actually look very good either way round. If he was a car he’d be a banana yellow souped up estate coupe monster truck muscle van with gold-plate alloys that doesn’t actually start but has a horn that does a really good Dukes of Hazzard. If he was a pair of shoes he’d be a single bespoke purple slip-on goatskin loafer – with no sole and no upper and no heel.

And if he was a controversial newspaper interview he’d be today’s non-exclusive “exclusive” in The Sun in which he “gambled with his Manchester United future” and “pulled no punches in a revealing interview that will leave boss Fergie seething” after raging that he is being “mismanaged”.

Except that in The Mail he just thinks Sir Alex Ferguson is “complicated”. And the Times manages to yawn the whole thing away with “Nani not seeking escape route”. Although The Mill is willing to bet that even if he was, it might take some time to find it.

Also in the Sun West Ham have told Liverpool they want £20m for scuttling goal-machine Carlton Cole. Arsenal are “keeping tabs on” 18-year-old Barcelona winger Gai Assulin, which seems as good a place as any to keep tabs, but only if they’re properly secured with Velcro.

And “dive storm striker” David Ngog says he will “bounce back stronger”, but only after hurling himself face-first on to a particularly springy piece of turf. “You learn more about yourself in the bad times than the good,” he says.

Aston Villa want to sign Ipswich “wonderkid” Connor Wickham who, when he’s not scoring goals likes to flounce around a honeyed version of 19th century rural society England wearing britches and getting ditzy and ruining impressionable young girls.

Everton are “leading the chase” ahead of Chelsea for Benfica midfield scuffler Javier García, who retails for £13m and is Luis García’s cousin. “We’ve not even talked about the rumours yet,” says his agent/dad, furiously texting the Daily Star something that looks like GARCIA 2 EVATON U AVIN A LAFF ETC ETC.

Steve Bruce will “launch a £12million double raid” for Adam Johnson and Maynor Figueroa in January. Sol Campbell is on his way to Newcastle. “He’s got a lot to offer,” says Chris Hughton, not really wanting to go into specifics.

And Southampton are after John Rooney, uncle of Kai-Wayne, son of Wayne Snr, brother of Wayne Jnr and a man who must occasionally wonder how things might have turned out by now if he was also called “Wayne”.

In The Mirror Rafa Benítez has decided strolling, sulking Spurs chest of drawers Roman Pavlyuchenko is the man to kick-start his team’s season. “Benítez sees him as the ideal stand in for Torres”.

Barcelona technical secretary and very Txiki boy Txiki Begiristain has poo-pooed the Robinho talk. “We won’t be meeting with City,” he told Barcelona’s official web site.

In The Mail Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Barcelona all fancy a piece of 22-year-old Uruguayan Ajax striker Luis Suarez. Apparently Jaap Stam is doing “occasional scouting” for United. Who’d have thought it.

‘Arry Redknapp wants to sign Andres D’Alessandro, who was at one point going to be the new Diego Maradona, then looked like he might not really be up to much, then looked really good for a bit, then went to Brazil to play for Internacional. Redknapp is also keen on D’Alessandro’s team mate Sandro. And his wife is called Sandra. The Mill senses potential for a two-Ronnies-style comic sketch of jet-setting farcical misunderstanding.

And United, Arsenal and Internazionale are all still keen on 1980s shoulder-padded red glasses wearing ad executive Yaya “Yah” Touré, who seems to be in the out-tray at Barcelona. “If he does leave Barça, he will not go to Manchester City because he will sign for a bigger club,’ crowed his agent, a little unnecessarily in The Mill’s opinion.

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