Editorial

Roman Soldier: Francesco Totti Is Back, Tinkerman Gets Schooled By Zeman

‘Er Pupone’ is back with a bang… and so is Zeman. ‘Roman Soldier’ Vince Masiello thinks the Bohemian’s produced the biggest echo.

Nov 25, 2009 2:15:09 PM

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“Francesco Totti, I give you permission to kick my as*.” Giovanni Bertini’s mea culpa after the Roma captain bagged a fantastic hat-trick at the weekend was priceless.

The former Giallorossi defender, who is perhaps Totti’s biggest critic in the Eternal City and proclaims himself to be better than the Stadio Olimpico idol, felt compelled to make amends after blasting the striker as ‘finished’ less than a year ago.

“Is it possible that the captain has to walk on the pitch at his age and you still care for him?” he asked the Maggica fans. “Unfortunately, the captain is finished…”

Well, Totti made him eat his words with a mesmerizing display against Bari just 27 days after undergoing meniscus surgery, the umpteenth setback of a career blighted by a series of injuries over the past three years.

I won’t hide and pretend I never called into question his capability to perform at the highest level again in light of this. In fact, that was the widespread feeling of the majority of Lupi supporters at one point – although few will admit to it - and that is exactly what brought on the furore over his proposed new five year contract.

I too have expressed my reservations about the necessity of such a long-term deal, but I have since come to understand his reasoning – I’ll keep it to myself though - and I certainly stopped short of labelling him as finished.

Let’s face it: he is no spring chicken anymore and you do get the impression that he sometimes saunters across the pitch. But they say class is forever and there is no denying that Totti’s is as pure as it was in his prime.

His touch, finishing, shooting skills and great vision are almost unrivalled in Serie A and his influential presence is something Roma cannot do without at the moment and in years to come.

As a matter of fact, I can’t shake the feeling that, without Totti’s heroics, the Olimpico crowd would have been in for another gloomy Sunday. Were it not for the captain’s quick-fire treble that took the wind out of Bari’s sails, I fear the Galletti’s sparkling brand of football would have been too much to handle for the still alarmingly wobbly back-line of Claudio Ranieri’s side.

Goalkeeper Julio Sergio performed miracles to keep out the Apulian side who have only their profligate strikers to blame if they are not higher up the standings.

Giampiero Ventura has admittedly forged a phenomenal outfit, whose style of play is by far the most entertaining in the peninsula this season and one that closely reminds me of the good old days of Luciano Spalletti.

The departure of the Tuscan tactician has undeniably deprived Roma of that flamboyant flair, but I have also failed to see the workmanlike approach that Ranieri promised when he was sworn in.

And that didn’t go unnoticed by former Giallorossi boss Zdenek Zeman either. The always solemn maestro of ultra-offensive football reignited his feud with Ranieri this week and he brought out the big guns.

It all started when Zeman slammed Ranieri’s early pledge to stamp out champagne football as ‘depressing’. Ranieri took offence and insisted he had worked more on the team’s defensive setup in two weeks than Zeman had done throughout his stint at Trigoria.

And Zeman sniped on Monday: “I think that my Roma conceded less goals than they have done in the few months he (Ranieri) has been in charge.”

“And I repeat that it’s bad to introduce yourself as a coach of a team like Roma by warning to forget about entertainment: football is made to entertain people.”

Don’t we all know that? Sure, I guess most fans could hardly stand the kind of roller-coaster ride that Leonardo has embarked Milan on, but what is the point of campaigning for no-frills football when you still let in a boatload of goals?

Zeman hit a sore spot and, I’ve said it before, it’s high time Ranieri sorts it out once and for all. You know, Claudio, if the last three years are anything to go by, Totti might not always be around to spare your blushes… Let’s hope not!

Vince Masiello, Goal.com

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