Underrated/Overrated

Il Mediano

Registered User
Feb 24, 2018
1,837
690
I get that, I was talking about recently...like last decade since like three years ago every was claiming them main contenders to Juventus and always failed.

Haha well, any Roma supporter that genuinely thought we could contend with Juve (outside of the 2016-17 season) , was just being a "hopeful" fan.

Roma being a "contender" to Juve , is akin to Dortmund being a "contender" to Bayern.- maybe even more lopsided.

We were Juve's main rivals by default because the Milan clubs were shambolic - that's just the truth. It wasn't a great league , and Roma honestly wasn't a really good team until 2 seasons ago , despite the 2nd place finishes.

For context, in 2014-15 we finished 2nd place , 17 points behind Juve. We got knocked out of CL group stage, and then knocked out in the last 16 of Europa.

Our leading scorer was a 38 year old Totti with 8 goals ( yes, 8 , you read that right) ; we had 34 year old Ashley Cole , 33 year old Maicon, and 35 year old Seydou Keita starting for us. One of our starting CB's was a dude named Mapou Yanga- Bwia. Hell, Morgan De Sanctis , at the ripe ol' age of 38 was our starting keeper.

That team would get torched by current Roma , and in the current Serie A.

Spurs are a great side, and I honestly didn't mind the comparison - I definitely see similarities on and off the pitch.

I was just shootin' the shit.
 
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Stray Wasp

Registered User
May 5, 2009
4,561
1,503
South east London
Invincibles were overrated.

It's nice that they're the only team that accomplished this, but Arsenal had a better team in 2002.

Underrated: Ashley Cole. Don't @ me, in his prime I take him over the other LBs of this generation.

I reckon I'm repeating myself, but since that's never stopped half of Hollywood I'll plough on regardless. Whilst I think the Invincibles were superior to the 2002 team, and one of the best English club teams I've ever seen, I find their reputation problematic for two reasons:

1) the Premier League stank to high heaven that year. Manchester United were rebuilding (their league title the previous season was a fig leaf, albeit a historically crucial one). Liverpool and Newcastle's managers had lost their way, with the predictable effect on their respective teams. Chelsea missed the chance to build a team, and instead merely carpet-bombed Europe with money.

2) the Champions League was there for the taking, yet they allowed themselves to fall to the aforementioned Chelsea.

I said on this very site around 2010/11 time that I didn't like Ashley Cole but expected he'd go down as the best English LB since Ray Wilson, and nothing since has happened to change my opinion. I think the fact he's a hard man to like slightly overshadows his standing.
 

Il Mediano

Registered User
Feb 24, 2018
1,837
690
Over: Gerrard

tenor.gif
 

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Round of 16 appearances in last 5 World Cups:

5: Brazil, Mexico
4: Germany, Spain, England, Argentina
3: United States, Belgium, Sweden, Japan, Switzerland, Portugal, Netherlands, Uruguay

Of the "3's", only teams from that second tier in Europe are Sweden and Switzerland

Switzerland has the same amount of appearances at the tournament as us in that stretch with one less knockout win. Sweden has the same amount of knockout wins as us in that stretch, but one less WC appearance.

So yes, I think we have consistently shown ourselves to be better than all of the second tier over the past 20 years.

That's because you always (well, amost always) make it to the WC due to the relative lack of competition in CONCACAF. If you had to qualify in UEFA, you'd make it as often as countries like Austria or Serbia.

It's hilarious how you group the USA together with Colombia, Uruguay and Chile under the label "the Americas". The latter are great at football, get a lot of respect from Europeans and, of course, have plenty of quality players employed in Europe. You're not in the same league as they are.

If you think that European players don't have a big advantage in getting jobs with teams in the top European leagues, we might as well end the discussion there. There are restrictions in every league in Europe.

There are no restrictions.
 
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bleedblue1223

Registered User
Jan 21, 2011
51,764
14,675
I don’t know. I think he’s one of those guys that like everyone knows has the talent to be world class but I don’t think he has the work ethic.

Yeah, based on pure talent/skill, he's in the top tier group, no denying that, but there is something keeping him from playing up to that talent level. I will say that the criticism that he's received lately, especially by Germans is kind of crazy, I can definitely see where he's coming from on that.

Not over or under-rated, but a little under, but just more of a disappointing player because he can be more.
 
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YNWA14

Onbreekbaar
Dec 29, 2010
34,543
2,560
Yeah I don't really understand how Ozil can be overrated on this site. He gets dumped on by pretty much everyone (and I think it's an issue of expectations vs. reality). I think everyone expects a lot more than what he provides, but what he provides is still at an elite level.
 
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Pavel Buchnevich

Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Dec 8, 2013
57,230
23,102
New York
That's because you always (well, amost always) make it to the WC due to the relative lack of competition in CONCACAF. If you had to qualify in UEFA, you'd make it as often as countries like Austria or Serbia.

It's hilarious how you group the USA together with Colombia, Uruguay and Chile under the label "the Americas". The latter are great at football, get a lot of respect from Europeans and, of course, have plenty of quality players employed in Europe. You're not in the same league as they are.

Thanks for making my point. You are a Euro-snob. There's a reason for the term.

Your point also doesn't make sense. I didn't mention anything about qualifying. If CONCACAF qualifying was so easy, why do the teams fare well in the World Cup? Getting in doesn't guarantee you'll play well in the tournament. Look at Asia. If you look at the two most recent qualification processes, Mexico didn't get top 3 in 2014 WCQ and USA didn't get top 4 in 2018 WCQ, so its not as easy as you want to make it out to be. Teams like Costa Rica, that I'm sure you'd make fun of, wipe the floor with Uruguay, England and Italy. Since they don't have players in big European leagues that you respect, you look down on them and make fun of them.

There are no restrictions.

There certainly are. EU citizens can join move within Europe at age 16. Americans have to wait until 18 to play in some leagues, the least restrictive leagues. Can't play in England without an EU passport or work permit. Can't play in Spain, France, Italy without an EU passport or taking up one of the non-EU slots. Plenty of restrictions in place.
 
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JayKing

Go Habs Go
Dec 30, 2011
15,234
418
Montreal
Anyone else also finds that Aguero gets really underrated by Man City supporters? Most of the once I've talked to or most of what I've seen online is that David Silva and Vincent Kompany get credited more as their best/most crucial player before the Pep and De Bruyne years.
 

Duchene2MacKinnon

In the hands of Genius
Aug 8, 2006
45,300
9,465
Dunno why there's not more talk about Saul Niguez in the footballing world tbh.
You can't blame me... I've been pumping his tires for a couple of years now. He scores a golazo goal every now and then gets people talking but it dies off quick. One reason is that he's not an offensive dynamo ala Greizzman and plays at Atleti.

The guy is world class
 

sabremike

Friend To All Giraffes
Aug 30, 2010
22,548
33,793
Brewster, NY
If the Americans who post here can't admit that America does not produce top class players well then those fans just have blinders on. USA soccer is more worried about growing the MLS then producing top class players.
You act as if one has nothing to do with the other. Strong MLS clubs will end up producing quality young players (eg: the Red Bulls).

And speaking of underrated: Bradley Wright Phillips. The greatest thing Henry did while he was here was to turn the light on in BWP's head and make him become a serious pro. The rest is history. Not many players have their number retired while they are still active but the team did just that last week for #99.
 

KJS14

Registered User
Jun 13, 2013
2,899
878
Anyone else also finds that Aguero gets really underrated by Man City supporters? Most of the once I've talked to or most of what I've seen online is that David Silva and Vincent Kompany get credited more as their best/most crucial player before the Pep and De Bruyne years.

I think he got a little underrated when Gabriel Jesus first came in and started out really hot. Overall I think most people appreciate how good he has been, but idk about City supporters.
 

Paulie Gualtieri

R.I.P. Tony Sirico
May 18, 2016
12,312
3,052
I think they are rather close to be honest. Insigne is the lesser, but not by much.

Maybe should've put this in the Hot Take thread.
 
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Evilo

Registered User
Mar 17, 2002
61,958
8,526
France
Arguably the best player in the a WC is once again getting incredibly underrated.
More than that, he, is according to some geniuses, overrated.
 

Islesfan22

Registered User
Jan 15, 2013
6,768
2,628
Rockland
You act as if one has nothing to do with the other. Strong MLS clubs will end up producing quality young players (eg: the Red Bulls).

And speaking of underrated: Bradley Wright Phillips. The greatest thing Henry did while he was here was to turn the light on in BWP's head and make him become a serious pro. The rest is history. Not many players have their number retired while they are still active but the team did just that last week for #99.
I don't watch MLS. I have heard of Wright Phillips but never seen him play. If he was so good though he would have made it in Europe. I would rather see the really talented Americans go to Europe.
 

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