Totti

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

Why does Totti get so much stick and disrespect on here? Especially after his having stayed at Roma all his career?

Ramshock

because he is supposedly an arrogant prick who wouldn't give you the time of day! I personally always thought he was overrated

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

I find the "he is overrated comments" funny. Especially since if he wasn't at Roma they'd probably be in mid table oblivion for years up till now.

Cali Red

Totti is a brilliant player and gets too much stick. Loyal to his club. He's also had some great international matches as well although he usually gets ripped on for his play.

The Law of Denis

'I am not worried about what Ferguson thinks of me as - as (Roma coach Luciano) Spalletti says - he will see for himself. I hope I will make him remember my name.'

Totti said that he was expecting to be man-marked by United.

'So they are going to put me in a cage?' said the World Cup winner. 'The opponents always make a cage for me.

'When I grow up I won't be a footballer but I will go and work at the zoo with all the cages people have made for me.'

Totti then turned his fire on the standard of football in England.

He added: 'I don't like the way English football is even if some great players play there.


'I don't like English football and I don't like England either because of the weather.'

samabachan

Because he has never shown up in Europe or at a crucial time in an international tournament. Massive fucking bottler and a bit of a cock.

B Cantona

He's idolised by some like a God, whereas in truth he's the Italian Matt Le Tissier

We all love Gary Neville, one club man. Doesn't mean he's a player of untamed brilliance

Some will have you believe Totti is something extraordinary. He isn't. He's a good player, but a classic bully - more often than not great against the poor teams, crap against the best

Oh yeh, and he's a cock

MUFC_Fatso

Nice example

Totti = worshipped in Roma . . . due to obvious reasons

AttackingFlair

Extremely technically gifted, too good for Roma but it was his choice to stay there and that's loyalty. I remember he scored an insane volley with his weaker foot in Serie A once.

Suedesi

Watch his single-handed destruction of Valencia a few years back 3-0 at the Mestalla if I recall correctly, and you may revise your opinion.

The fact is, his team are not very good, he is, end of.

And a World Cup winner to boot.

KeyserSoze

Very good player, who often splits opinion. I have never really understood why people feel the need to try and discredit his club career or do the opposite and try to overhype him into something else. He is what he is and has adapted his style of play over the years. There is some validity to the critique of his international career as a whole though, especially in the big tournaments.

The only real problem I have ever had in terms of the overhyping or media attention etc he gets was in 2001. I don’t think he was as pivotal to Roma winning the Scudetto as everybody went on, maybe it was just a part of his influence at the club. He had a very good season but was also supported by the likes of Montella, Delvecchio, Nakata (he was actually pretty good then) and players like Samuel at the back. It also helps when you have some god like figure battering the oppositions defenders and banging in critical goals in important stages of the game. Basically on one knee as well I might add.

surf

We tend to notice how supposed world stars do against United, and he hasn't exactly shone during the copious number of recent matches with Roma.

Cristiano_RAFC

He won the European Golden Boot in 2006-2007. Not bad I'd say.

He's also won a Scudetto with Roma, and he's a World Cup Winner with Italy in 2006 and a European Championship finalist in 2000.

A lot of players would sign for those achievements.

UBERScholes

I think he's superbly talented and a pleasure to watch. Maybe he doesn't always produce against the best, whilst being a bit of a tosser sometimes, but he has special qualities. One of my favourite Serie A players of the last decade

Sarni

Roma are not really a bad team nowadays.

Gio

Because someone whose reputation is primarily built on excellence in Serie A will never win over English fans who only catch him once or twice a year in Europe. Particularly if he doesn't put in match-winning performances on those occasions. Throw that in with an arrogant attitude and the spitting incident and it's not the kind of personality to win over the doubters.

Like his chipped penalty against Holland in the Euro 2000 semi-final shoot-out? Or his man of the match performance in the Euro 2000 final against France? Or his injury-time penalty to knock out Australia in the 2006 World Cup?

Clearly he's not the greatest player of his generation, but nor is he as middling as some would have you believe.

rednev

Because some people don't understand football.

Suedesi

You forgot Batistuta

Yet Totti was the key.

Nistelrooy10

Good post. I feel like he's being held beck by his teammates. Roma don't have the finances to compete with others, and the team lack talent to compete at the highest levels. Spaletti has done a great job with them, considering what he has to work with, but I think someone like Wenger would be ever better.

B Cantona

Sure we don't mate

Chorley1974

Roma are like a cheap nightclub....................................

They are nothing without Totti...................................

I'll get my coat

Sniggleton

Because he spits on Danes.

rednev

Well I do find your refusal to rate either Luis Figo or Francesco Totti (two of the great European footballers of the past decade or so) somewhat bizarre, Brad. Next you'll be telling us you don't rate Ronaldo de Lima!

FranklyVulgar

Chorley1974

Brad is metrosexual though

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

Exactly. Roma only get where they do because of him.

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

Without him they are nothing special. Most times with him they can be really special.

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

For me what I find strange and almost hypocritical is how some on here rate and respect the likes of Shearer for what he did by sticking by Newcastle. Yet slated and disrespect a player who stayed with his boy hood small time club and made them great and even helped them win their domestic league title more than once.

samabachan

Man of the match performance. I don't think he scored though did he? And he certainly didn't win. Scoring a penalty in a shootout is not exactly a special contribution is it and knocking out Australia FFS? Australia? You must be kidding. They're only slightly better than fucking England.

Oh and to the guy who said he single handedly destroyed Valencia I'm not disagreeing but can you come up with any more good European performances?

MagnificentDuke

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh the glory that is francesco totti

Ole'sbodyguard

The thing with Totti is, when he emerged on the scene in 94 he was heralded as the natural replacement for Baggio alongside Del Piero when they were emerging. Baggio was let's remember always a top player who was for a period in the early to mid 90's the world's finest player for Juventus and Italy. Totti never hit the same heights, and hence was always a class below the likes of Zidane, Ronaldo and Rivaldo. In comparison there was a time when Del Piero(who I have always rated higher) was considered in the world's elite group with Ronaldo with his form for Juventus just before Zidane unsurped him as their top star. Del Piero would recover from a bad injury and come close to hitting those heights again but not quite be as excellent as he was in those early years when he was justifed in being called a heir to Baggio

There is no doubt Totti has had a fine career in Italy and has been one of the best players in Seria A over the last 15 years. But I have never rated him as highly as the top players in Europe during this period such as Zidane, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and more recently the likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Ronaldinho, Henry and co. He has never hit the heights in Europe and whilst his international record is decent it has had so very bad lows.

For me when people describe Totti as being overrated it is because he was never quite as good as the very best of his generation and the fact that he has often being placed in the same league as Baggio and Del Piero, when for me he is not quite of their standard.

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

If Totti had been at a successful big European side like Milan. No one here would dare question his abilities.

For me the biggest irony is he played at a smaller club than either Del Piero or Baggio, took his smaller club to domestic success and as many personal accolades as them in their domestic game and was bascally as succefull as both in international football yet his achievements are always looekd down upon in comparison.

B Cantona

Ronaldo is a country mile better than either of the two footballers you talk of there. It's just a shame his career was relatively decimated by injury, we've been robbed somewhat of a top quality player. Whether his character and personality would have allowed him to achieved the full extent of his talent anyway is one of those unanswerable questions though. Still been some player

Figo and Totti are two very good footballers, but two who have been giving far greater billing and hype than they really deserve. And it's correct to use the term 'overrated', because as you've seen, people are calling these players 'legends'. Are they bollocks

Ole'sbodyguard

Not if he did not deliver in Europe, Chief. Most of the top players for the likes of Milan and Juve have delivered in Europe, especially Milan.

Look at Zlatan. Played for Juve and Inter, two very big clubs, but plenty of people doubt his credentials as amongst the world's elite due to his record in the Champions league.

Edit: As for your comments on Baggio. Well he is looked down upon in comparison to him because Baggio was clearly a better player. You are comparing Totti to someone who dragged Italy to World cup final by himself and was regarded as the world's best player for a good few years of his career. Totti's never had that status, simple as that.

B Cantona

'IF' is an awfully big word isn't it Rubberman

He hasn't been at a big successful side like Milan. He's been at Roma. Who's to say how he'd have done for a top side? Maybe he thrives as a big fish in a small pond (to do great discredit to Roma, they've had some very good players alongside)

You get a decent impression of what it may have been like from his Italian national team performances though, and of course his champions league performances. Erm... yeh. No thanks. Flattered to decieve. He does have a world cup winners medal, but having watched every game the Italians played that tournament, he could barely have been more peripheral in a winning side

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

The thing is Totti has been far from a flop in the champions league. He has consistently shown up against top Spanish opposition like REAL and Valencia. Even against fellow Italian sides. Surronded with inferior talent to that at Zlatan's disposal. So or him to be bracketed with Zltaan I think is unfair.

ALX8725

I agree with you on Figo, but I think you're stretching it a bit with Totti. He's a good player, not a great one.

Giggs and our own Ronalo have more personal/club achievements than Totti has. And Ronaldo's career is just beginning.

ALX8725

Real is not top Spanish opposition esp with the way they have been floudering in the CL competitions these past 3 years.

what about numerous times he's faced United/English opposition these past few seasons?

Ole'sbodyguard

Chief the only thing that makes the Zlatan comparison unfair is that Zlatan has played in the CL for more regularly throughout his career. I tossed it into the mix because you inferred if he played for a big club he would be unanimously praised as a top player. To describe Totti as consistently showing up Spanish sides is pushing it when all you can point to is 2 good displays(or 4 if you go with both legs). Remember him against Liverpool in the Uefa cup quarter finals. He got outshone by Micheal Owen in his own backyard.

Totti has been one of the top players in his league for over a decade and has had a decent, but mixed, international career. He still not as good as the likes of Baggio and Del Piero who have had better careers than he has, especially Baggio.

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

That's a poor argument Brad. He stayed at Roma Because he is a fan and loves the club. To compare that to "big fish in small pond" syndrome is to do a great disservice to what he has done for Roma.
He stayed there out of choice. Not lack of ability. Not lack of big name suitors and he has made it count for them.

TBF He has never flattered to deceive in the champions league. I've seen him destroy both REAL and Valencia twice plus. Zlatan is a better example of flattering to deceive on that stage

And for the record at the international stage he was excellent at Euro 2000. Even though like Baggio he end up second best in the final.

Personally I wouldn't use the world cup as a yard stick for his performances at International level. But I'd definitely use Euro 2000. he was top notch through out. Especially in the final, in which Del Piero's profligacy cost Italy the tournament.