Totti the Cheat (to his own players and fans)

**Junior** · 05/07/2006, 6:43 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I found that people watching the match on BBC didn't think Totti played badly but the lads on RTE absolutely hate Totti. I'm just happy Houghton wasn't commentating as he seems to hate all things Italian.

Eirebhoy it was on ITV....................schoolboy error

**NeilMcD** · 06/07/2006, 9:28 AM

lads how many times have I to say it I was shouting for Italy and I hope they win the Final so whats this begrudgers nonesense.

**John83** · 06/07/2006, 9:31 AM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Sorry I am judging him on his performances for Italy as that says a lot about the guy. He does not do it for his national side. He was a disgrace last night in my view and any time I have seen him play he has been a disgrace. 2002 and 2004 he was a joke. Thats enough times I feel to judge him at international level. I agree he is top class at club level but that shows there is something vital wrong with his personality. I never said he did not have the ability THat is why my thread is titled Totti the cheat. I feel he is cheating the players the fans and managment.

In both 2002 and 2004, he was suspended for most of Italy's involvement for being dirty and petulent (c.f. Rooney, Wayne). He's an awesome player with a questionable attitude. I'm sorry, but you can't make a final judgement on a player based on three or four games.

Aside from which, the Italians consider him a fantasista, not a trequartista, like Zidane. He's not expected to hold up the ball. He's expected to pass it to the strikers, a rather difficult and thankless task when you're up against a defence playing like the Germans did on Tuesday.

**joeSoap** · 06/07/2006, 9:32 AM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

lads how many times have I to say it I was shouting for Italy and I hope they win the Final so whats this begrudgers nonesense.

Its not begrudgery of Italy, more so than begrudgery of Totti. You just do not like him, plain and simple. The majority of others disagree....thats all.

**NeilMcD** · 06/07/2006, 9:36 AM

Who says I judged it on 3 or 4 performances. Also getting sent off and personality are part and parcel of football. I did not question his talent I questioned his attitude and personality and that is why I called him a cheat. he is cheating himself and his team mates and the fans. He plays football for Italy for himself if that makes sense. What I mean is that when he puts on an Italisan jersey he seems to play for himself. His attitude stinks and I have seen many of Italys qualifiers and I have never been impressed by him in an Italian shirt.

Also this rubbish about what Italisan consider him to be, he is the player playing behind the front man. His job is to pass the ball to an Italian shirt regardless of where he plays there is no point in giving the ball away no matter where you play football. football is a simple game if you pass to your own team you are doing the right thing if you give it away to the opposition you are not.

**John83** · 06/07/2006, 9:39 AM

Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

...he had as much left in the tank as the much-vaunted Michael Ballack...

Sorry to go off topic, but Ballack was carrying an injury. At the end of normal time, the German physios were all over him, trying to coax a few more minutes out of him. Compairing his stamina with a fully fit player is an insult to a player who gave everything he had for Germany in the tournament.

**NeilMcD** · 06/07/2006, 9:41 AM

Originally Posted by joeSoap

Its not begrudgery of Italy, more so than begrudgery of Totti. You just do not like him, plain and simple. The majority of others disagree....thats all.

The person who mentioned begrudgery did not mention Totti but Italy and then Buffon and Cannavaro so I took it as begrudgery of Italy. There is no mention of Totti in Colleges post.

I love Italy and I love the country and I think this team is fantastic and I hope they win the tournament. Yet people replied to my original post by saying this is more anit Italian nonsense. This could not be further from teh truth but people made ignorant comments without knowing the motivation behind my original post. If they had of checked other posts by myself on other threads they would have seen I was an Italian supporter. Yet they went for the lazy option and said it was part of anti Italian feelings.

If I criticise Henry its anti Arsenal or Anti France, is there no player in world football that one cannot criticise without the lazy comeback of that is anti ........ fill in the blank there.

**Dodge** · 06/07/2006, 9:43 AM

Totti wasn't fully fit. He missed the last 3/4 months of the season and it was doubtful whether he made the world cup at all. Ballack was poor the other night. If it was an injury, then its Klinsmann's fault for leaving him on.

**NeilMcD** · 06/07/2006, 9:46 AM

Totti has been fully fit before and done nothing at international level. Brady is right in saying he is a joke of a player

**Dodge** · 06/07/2006, 9:59 AM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Totti has been fully fit before and done nothing at international level. Brady is right in saying he is a joke of a player

*Sigh*

He's obviously not a joke of a player. yes he's had a couple of stinker tournaments (name somebody who hasn't) but he's been consistently one of the best players in one of the best leagues for a good while now. Added to that he's played well in this tournament

**eirebhoy** · 06/07/2006, 10:08 AM

Neil, the anti-Italy accusations are gone since you denied it in the 12th post so you can let it drop now.

Anyway, I don't think you're getting the point. That is Totti's style of play. He was the best attacking player on the pitch in the 1st half and that is the real Totti.

He has won Italian player of the year twice, is a Serie A league winner and regarded as Italy's most valuable player atm. Jose Mourinho actually wanted to buy him this summer but Roma don't want to sell him. He's regarded very, very highly by anyone that watches him play. The combined total of his goals and assists before he got injured in February came to more than his 23 appearances. Lippi made sure he brought him to Germany even though he hadn't started a game since February. He's a world class player and anyone that watches him regularly will see that. Anyone that calls him a joke of a player doesn't watch Serie A, I'm pretty certain of that (Brady may want to think he does but certainly doesn't). Even Roma's most fierce rivals will admit that Totti is a class player.

**NeilMcD** · 06/07/2006, 10:11 AM

Sorry but the fact that he has played well in Serie A only adds to the fact that he is a joke of a player. It means he is not putting in the effort or has the wrong attitude. The other night Dunphy said that Cannavaro is the sort of guy you would want to go to war with. In my view Totti is the last sort of guy you would want to go to war with along with Ronaldo. Both are cowards and are both what is wrong with the modern game. Over hyped over paid with the wrong attitude in my view.

I will name Paul Mc Grath who has never had a stinker of a tournament and Cannavaro, Klose and Robbie Keane.

**NeilMcD** · 06/07/2006, 10:15 AM

Eirebhoy going by your logic on Totti in Serie Frank Lampard is a class player but you and i both know he is not a class player.

**eirebhoy** · 06/07/2006, 10:27 AM

I honestly am completely lost as to the point you're trying to make Neil. Totti was the best player in Euro 2000 after Zidane. He hasn't performed up to his Roma level for Italy much since then but Thierry Henry plays to a quarter of his potential when in a French jersey.

**Dodge** · 06/07/2006, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

I will name Paul Mc Grath who has never had a stinker of a tournament and Cannavaro, Klose and Robbie Keane.

Sorry should have stated that ex Pats players were obvious exceptions. Also players who have only played one tourament don't count. I@ll give you Cannavaro but point to Klose's efforts in the EUROs

**pete** · 06/07/2006, 11:07 AM

Serie A goal of the season

More goals from this season

15 league goals last season dispite not playing last 3 months.

**NeilMcD** · 06/07/2006, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I honestly am completely lost as to the point you're trying to make Neil. Totti was the best player in Euro 2000 after Zidane. He hasn't performed up to his Roma level for Italy much since then but Thierry Henry plays to a quarter of his potential when in a French jersey.

I agree Henry is not great for France but he still has a huge number of goals for France and has scored 3 times in this tournament and got that vital goal V Ireland. The point I am making is all the things you say about Totti in Serie A could also be said about Lampard. Yet you and me included think that Lampard is an overated player who does not do it at teh highest leve and has many flaws in his game. Totti in my view has never really done it Champions League level or international level which are the true test of a player. I do not agree that he was the 2nd best player behind Zidane at Euro 2000. But even if he was that is a poor return for supposedly a world class player..