No doubt Totti has been a failure for the NT. He sparkled at Euro 2000, and he's been good in WCQ generally, but he was never able to lift the team on his shoulders--and he hurt the reputation of the Azzurri, globally, at Euro 2004. But we're really not talking about the National Team--and in any case the verdict is still out on Totti with Azzurri. He has another chance to redeem himself.
But I'm also talking about Totti with club. This past season was a disaster where he missed eight games on suspension alone (I believe eight games). Furthermore, he did not exactly light it up when he did play. But forget this past season as Roma was terrible. Let's look two years ago when they were competing with Milan for the scudetto. In the direct encounters against Milan, he was terrible. Those are the decisive games where champions are made. Totti failed.
There's no real case for Totti having been a failure for Roma . . . Quite the opposite, I would say. His worst season was the past one--he had 12 goals and 15 assists.
I'll agree that Totti is magnificent against the Lecces and Brescias of the world. Unfortunately, it is in the big moments that he does not show up. Ironically, the only game against a big clun I actually recall him playing well in was against Juve (at the Olimpico) two years ago when we were crap.
What are you talking about? Totti's history in games against big clubs (Milan, Juve, Inter, foreign clubs) is outstanding. Want to stroll down memory lane with me?
I've been trying to get you to explain his failure in the direct encounters with Milan two years ago, when Roma actually had a shot of winning the scudetto.
Ok my two cents: As an Inter fan I hope Inter wins and I think they have an honest chance given that Moratti didn't sell the whole team and buy a new team like he has in the past. Inter can finally pick up where they left off... winning a trophy and start the new season with the same core they had last year. Inter definently has a chance. Milan is screwed this season. Obviously every Milan fan will argue this one but they are going to have the same problems Inter had in the first half of last season. They have their 4 strikers who all want action and only two will get the starting nod (unless Ancelotti puts out 3). Problem: All of these strikers are strikers who play excellent independently but how well can they play together? Gilla never delt with having another World-Class forward along side him, I don't think I've ever seen Shev pass a ball, Pippo hasn't played in a year, and Vieri should just retire. So really how well are they going to play together? Sheva and Gilla are just going to fight each other to hog the ball and there will be hostility between Gilla/ Sheva & Pippo/Vieri. Whether you believe me or not, we'll see what happens.
I've meant to respond sooner, but it's been crazy at my office. Here goes. 1--your question is manipulative. Judging Totti's contributions to Roma on one game is unfair. By the same logic Maradona was poor for Argentina because he didn't deliver in the final of Italia '90. But was he? I think not. To get an idea of what a player does in big games, you have to look at more than one performance of his; 2--and Totti has been big in a number of big games, by which I mean games against big teams. In his scudetto year he was absolutely huge, in the 01-02 campaign he was consistently top-notch, one remembers the matches against Madrid and Valencia that led the GDS to proclaim "Totti the conqueror of Spain," the killer performances in the Lazio derbies, the recent 3-3 with Inter where his free-kick lifted the team . . . Bobarino will add more when he's back from vacanza, but no one can say fairly that overall Totti has been only a "small-game" player. Even in the Coppa Italia where Roma was crushed by Inter, Totti was Roma's best player by far, second only to Adriano (IMO) performance-wise. In any event I think the point can be broadened. Two second places and a scudetto for Rome since Totti's arrival, and many great performances in big games. The team would certainly have been lesser--less competitive--without him.
Let me say, first and foremost, I will agree that he was spectacular in the scudetto year. Kudos to him. However, we are nearing 5 years from the date they won the scudetto. Further, in retrospect, after seeing the impact Capello had by leaving Roma and going to Juve, my guess is Capello had more influence on the scudetto than did Totti. I will, however, also concede that it is an arguable point. Moreover, I'm not judging Totti's performance on one game. I've seen him play a number of times in big games and do nothing. I cite the TWO Milan encounters, in particular, because those were the decisive games in the scudetto; he did NOTHING. That is the big stage to me. Also, please don't compare Maradona to Totti; it is almost laughable, in fact it is. You cite his '90 performance while failing to recall his magnificent 1986 performance in Mexico. Let us not even compare the relative accomplishments with their respective NTs as Totti is a complete failure there. Finally, I also don't understand why you are citing the CL games against the Spanish teams when one can argue that they were not even important games, as they were not even in the KO stages. I guess that was my fault; I should have specified that I was talking about games that really mattered against the big clubs. Sure, it is nice to beat a Real or Valencia, but I was making reference to games that truly bore real significance. That is why I am constantly called back to the Milan encounters two years ago. Had Totti been effective, Roma would have won the scudetto. Also, the derby games might have local significance, but I cannot recall those games really being integral to decide a scudetto. In other words, I never recollect Lazio and Roma competing head-to-head for the scudetto like Juve and Milan did this past year, or like Roma and Milan did two years ago. Also, for me and many others, Coppa Italia means nothing, so I would not even account for those matches.
I didn't compare Totti to Maradona. I said that by your logic a legend like Maradona could be called a small-game player because he didn't dominate in the '90 final. Obviously it's not a correct or fair statement. What games do you want to count as big games--Serie A matches where Roma played the likes of Milan, Inter, Juve? I'll look up stats for evidence but I can already tell you from memory that in many such games Totti was key. Roma 4, Juve 0, comes to mind . . . Your point about Capello is interesting. I'll always hate him for leaving for Juve, but I admit that the club flourished under him. We won't be able to really judge his influence, vs. Totti's, until we see Roma under a coach like Spalletti. Last season I would say that the string of second-rate coaches (Voller, especially), the loss of our best defenders and their replacement with the likes of Panucci and Ferrari (ugh), and the terrible atmosphere in the locker room killed us. Before Totti was suspended for the 5 matches, though, he helped lead one of Serie A's best and most creative attacking forces. Like any other good player, of course, he needs solid support from teammates and the guidance of a strong coach. I think he's about to have the season of his life, by the way . . .
Re: Totti/Maradona, I see what you are saying but perhaps I should rephrase my argument. I was trying to establish that although I believe it is unfair to judge a player by one game, you cited the wrong example in Maradona. Maradona had so many huge games where he was spectacular that it would be absurd just to cite the '90 final as indicative of what Maradona did in big moments. In my view, Totti does not have that collection of great games and my reference to the Milan games were fair game to show, as example, of what Totti has done in big moments. In other words, my opinion is that the '90 final for Maradona was an aberration whereas Totti's Milan games I referenced are exemplary of what can be expected of him in big moments on the playing field. You may disagree, but that is my view; and I also hope I corrected any mistatement on my behalf. You keep on mentioning the 4-0 game which I'll give you because I said, myself, that is the only big game I presently recall Totti performing well in. Roma were on course for the scudetto that year and they came up big collectively in that game with Totti shining. However, that was also the same year that he was useless against Milan. You dont mention any other games that year against the big teams where he actually impressed. Regarding Capello, I think you can debate the point to no end, but it is a question that will never be answered. It is just something that occurred to me this season and I would agree that there can be no comprehensive quantitative assessment of how important either person was to the. The only thing that is certain is Capello knows how to get results. With regard to the attack, I recall Roma's tridente scoring goals early. In the matches againt Juve, Totti did nothing. Further, I don't recall him doing much against the two other big clubs, but, it didn't really matter as Roma were so far out of it that it was of little consequence. In other words, I don't think one can say that anyone at Roma had a good year last season. We'll see about the "season of his life" part in a little bit.
Well, its should be easier to win this year with 17 teams instead of 20 That mess aside, I'm going to go with Milan.