Or Fernando Totti if you're the person looking after FIFA's Twitter account. What a mistake. Legend of the game and they can't even get his name right.

Arguably FIFA's biggest crime to date.

I love how literally you take absolutely everything.

That's nonsense.

Care to expand on that?

Giggs was poor, besides the odd good game, for years before he finally retired from playing. I even read Man United fans moam about him for years. He was hanging around like a bad smell.

Do you think he was world class up until he retired?

There's a difference between Totti's longevity and Giggs', with Totti doing more to earn it.

He wasn't as good in his last few years as at his peak, clearly. Still a valuable squad member though. That's a real achievement for a player that was blisteringly fast at his peak.

I doubt Francesco Totti is as good as he was either, He was never quick over the ground either.

Spot on Munch.

I agree, Giggs was still a useful experienced to have around the place towards the end of his playing time with us, he certainly was not overstaying his welcome or anything like that.

The starting point was to call Totti the "Italian version of Giggs, on the pitch at least."

Totti has been the key player for Roma right through to the present for over 20 years. Giggs has seen many other key players come and go and Tottis impact on Roma over the last 8 or 9 years has been far greater than Giggs who in that time as acknowledged above was a "useful squad player."

I was merely talking about Totti and Giggs' longevity and the fact that both of them were only ever attached to one professional club, more than their respective playing styles, with my initial comment on the matter.

When you label him "the Italian Ryan Giggs (on the pitch at least)" its reasonable to believe you are talking about his playing career, in a football forum, rather than just one facet of it.

My error then, I should have put an explanation at the time with my post.

No, he wasn't good in his last few years. Perfectly understandable, fast young players don't tend to go on for too long, especially at the top. Not only was he fast but his number of appearances is impressive, I don't think he had a bad injury record that you might associate with pacy players like Michael Owen.

His decline was understandable, but he started to become a burden on the team. I don't follow AS Roma closely so I I don't truly know what influence Totti still has on the game, and what their fans think of him, but I remember Man United fans e-groaning (if that was possible) whenever he was in the starting XI. He still had some good games, but his influence and experience was probably best left on the bench and in the dressing room.

He played on much longer than he should have. If a 20 year old player played like he did at around 36 they'd be moved on.

To play for as long as he did is an achievement, especially for a fast player, and I don't want to rubbish the achievements of such a player or club legends, including legends of my club's rivals, but he stuck around longer than he should have. I'd always read Man United fans acting, well, like they do now whenever Rooney's in the team.

I just read that Carlos Tevez might retire at the end of 2016. He's only 32, 33 in February.

Ran his b*llox off in his prime.. Probably knackered out.

If you keep fit and have no long term injuries you can go on for longer, more likely lost the desire

Yep im sure. That was his other side, chased and made the dough and didnt have the right attitude for plenty of years.

Probably off to play some more golf.

Yeah it'll be more to do with the lack of desire and earned enough money to retire happily. He could probably go on a few more years if he actually wanted to.

I thought that too. A very wholehearted player. But he seems to be only around the 410 appearances mark so should be some life left in him yet. Although you have to have the desire to play how he does.

Not enough stats not knocking about to back it up properly but there's a suggestion outfield players are cooked by 700 appearances, or at best on an irreversible downhill slide whatever their age happened to be at the time. Even Totti, a complete freak, has only played around 820 matches
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/...h-god-hes-done

Top10 goalscorers (as at Feb2016) highlights this for some players, although definitely not for one or two
http://talksport.com/football/reveal...onaldo-and?p=2

QPR/Barnsley and Leeds (not a surprise I guess!) caught up in bungs sting.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016...-championship/

The Mighty Glasgow Celtic, first team to take the lead and to not get beat off Guardiola's Man City. Might not have the money of your wee diddy Stokes and Tottenhams but showing yous how it's done once again!

Careful, you've still got the reverse fixture and then Barca at yours.

We might beat Barca again, already done it twice before although City away we could get pumped again but wont be the only team to get pumped there this season, they are a great team.

Hull lucky not to receive another red card just before half time. Livermore has to be taken off as he's surely one foul away from being dismissed.