Pennant swigging from a Whiskey bottle

[Tee]

It's ridiculous. If it was Friday night then he wasn't even training next day anyway.

Lots of professional athletes drink. After his first Olympic gold, by his own admission, Bradley Wiggins spent all day every day in the pub for nine months, coming home in the evening to share a bottle or two of wine with his then girlfriend. If an endurance cyclist can recover from nine months of heavy drinking to win two more Olympic golds then a footballer won't be ruined by the occasional heavy night.

I don't remember people getting on their high horse about Didi Hamann's smoking. They're just getting moralistic because they don't like and don't rate Pennant. Well I don't rate him either but isn't non-story isn't a valid reason to slag him off.

WTGOR you are completely missing the point here, you really are.

There are standards that professional athletes who represent this football club should adhere to. At least Didi was never pictured out in public having a puff, and even though he smokes he is/was a consumate professional in his general conduct.

Pennant has form for this type of thing and this just makes him look even worse. A drink is no big deal but he should know better than to be out in public with a bottle of JD in his hand. He knows perectly well what he is doing and are you seriously telling me that Rafa would have looked at that picture and said "never mind, he is only having a drink, no big deal". I don't think so.

We might as well get the players back on the old traditional diet of fry-ups before a game and lots of beer after.

[Robster007]

Those on here defending him are missing the point completely. There's civilised drinking and theres binge drinking. If he was down the local having a couple of pints on his day off so be it but he is outside a nightclub in the wee hours off the morning drinking straight JD from the bottle. Highly unprofessional IMO and not good for the body. Modern athletes look after themselves in everyway especially diet. There is no way he could train properly after this. Stupid carry on from a player who should be giving 150% to get bak into the 1st team.

I don't think people are necessarily defending him, rather defending his right as a human not to be set upon by the press at any given moment.

Neil was right. It's the press that harm our youngsters and parade this ****e in their rags for all to see. They should be the ones who are savaged, not people doing what people sometimes do, for whatever reason.

[AFII]

I don't think people are necessarily defending him, rather defending his right as a human not to be set upon by the press at any given moment.

Neil was right. It's the press that harm our youngsters and parade this ****e in their rags for all to see. They should be the ones who are savaged, not people doing what people sometimes do, for whatever reason.

He knew what he was doing when he signed for us. If you play for Liverpool FC then you will get journos following around. Every player that plays for us is in the same situation because they play for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

If you are doing what Pennant did 2am in the morning then you simply don't care anymore because you know that the press will get wind of it.

If he did it 10 PM then it would be a different thing because most of the players probably do it but not 2 am in the morning. That is unacceptable.

[Neil Young]

It's not about how drinking would or wouldnt affect his performances. It's the air of "i'm not in the team. Oh well, bollocks to that anyway, let's go out and get pissed..who cares?"

It sickens me that my hard earned money is helping to fund that kind of lifestyle.

The one sentence you highlighted from AFII's post begins, "The problem is it looks like..."

WTGOR you are completely missing the point here, you really are.

There are standards that professional athletes who represent this football club should adhere to. At least Didi was never pictured out in public having a puff, and even though he smokes he is/was a consumate professional in his general conduct.

Pennant has form for this type of thing and this just makes him look even worse. A drink is no big deal but he should know better than to be out in public with a bottle of JD in his hand. He knows perectly well what he is doing and are you seriously telling me that Rafa would have looked at that picture and said "never mind, he is only having a drink, no big deal". I don't think so.

We might as well get the players back on the old traditional diet of fry-ups before a game and lots of beer after.

So it's all about how things look, is it?

Come on, no-one is saying it's advisable behaviour but unless it's affecting his training or his fitness then it's not the same as having fry-ups every morning so your parting shot misses its target.

I really like Didi Hamann but I don't understand how a "consummate professional" athlete in the 21st century can smoke. I don't mind him having the odd vice but then I'm not being overly judgemental about occasional deviations from perfection.

What Rafa chooses to do about it is up to him but I'm sure he's better informed about what Pennant's like than merely relying on old stories and a few snatched photos in a ****ty rag.

[Craig_H]

Sorry Neil, but YES, it is about how it looks.

As someone else said, what do you think Rafa would be thinking, looking at that?

There are some things that a professional footballer should just not be seen doing. Especially one like Pennant, whose career is hanging by a thread.

It's clear he's either very stupid or just doesnt care. Maybe both.

Why do you suppose it's Pennant we're talking about here, and not Gerrard, Carra, Torres, Sami Hyypia..etc?

[Neil Young]

Sorry Neil, but YES, it is about how it looks.

As someone else said, what do you think Rafa would be thinking, looking at that?

There are some things that a professional footballer should just not be seen doing. Especially one like Pennant, whose career is hanging by a thread.

It's clear he's either very stupid or just doesnt care. Maybe both.

OK, it's about image. Yup I bet that's all Rafa cares about.

[Craig_H]

OK, it's about image. Yup I bet that's all Rafa cares about.

It's not about image, but it's about being seen to be professional and being seen to be conducting yourself in an appropriate manner. Pennant doesnt give off either impression. Do you think Rafa's reaction would simply be "Ah, the little scamp. No problem though" ?

I'll ask again - why do you suppose we dont see the likes of Gerrard in this situation?

[AFII]

OK, it's about image. Yup I bet that's all Rafa cares about.

Of course he cares about that but he also cares about how much the players sleep, what they eat and drink.

It's his job to do that.

It's all about to get 100% out of the players.

[Tee]

The one sentence you highlighted from AFII's post begins, "The problem is it looks like..."


So it's all about how things look, is it?

Come on, no-one is saying it's advisable behaviour but unless it's affecting his training or his fitness then it's not the same as having fry-ups every morning so your parting shot misses its target.

I really like Didi Hamann but I don't understand how a "consummate professional" athlete in the 21st century can smoke. I don't mind him having the odd vice but then I'm not being overly judgemental about occasional deviations from perfection.

What Rafa chooses to do about it is up to him but I'm sure he's better informed about what Pennant's like than merely relying on old stories and a few snatched photos in a ****ty rag.

Well it is about how things look. Of course it is. Come on, this is exactly why he should not have put himself in that position. By doing so he has created a story and sparked fresh debate about his antics off the pitch rather than on it.

And IMO drinking is just as bad for the body as fry-ups.

I understand wher eyou are coming from but I just cannot agree with you on this one!!

[BFG]

Pennant hasn't created the story though. The person who took the photo and the people who actually give a feck what another human being does on their day off have.

It may not be 'ideal' behaviour from a footballer but neither is eating McDonald's or Mars bars, something a player who's known as 'God' around these parts openly admits he's done while he was a Liverpool player.

Do these indiscretions not count so much if you're a better player and held in higher regard by the fans?

[Robster007]

He knew what he was doing when he signed for us. If you play for Liverpool FC then you will get journos following around. Every player that plays for us is in the same situation because they play for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

If you are doing what Pennant did 2am in the morning then you simply don't care anymore because you know that the press will get wind of it.

If he did it 10 PM then it would be a different thing because most of the players probably do it but not 2 am in the morning. That is unacceptable.

Come on mate, signing for The Reds doesn't make you become inhuman. What a bad news day it must have been for that to make the press.

You should call his agent and suggest the 10PM curfew....

Different people handle different situations and pressures differently. He's hardly got pissed and flattened someone in his Range Rover now has he?

This is such a non-event.

[Shanks]

The lad is on a free in the summer.

Of course it would be in the clubs interest to get a fee for him in January given the amount we forked out for him but from Jermaine's point of view he will happily wait to get a bosman fee in the summer and why not?


One picture has seemed to create so much of a divide.

[AFII]

Come on mate, signing for The Reds doesn't make you become inhuman. What a bad news day it must have been for that to make the press.

You should call his agent and suggest the 10PM curfew....

Different people handle different situations and pressures differently. He's hardly got pissed and flattened someone in his Range Rover now has he?

This is such a non-event.

Signing for The Reds doesn't make you inhuman but you get a big responsibility playing for us. He is payed big money to act in a good way off the pitch and give 100% on the pitch.

I don't care even a little bit what he do after his Liverpool career but as long as he plays for us and we pay him big money then he should act in a good way off the pitch and work his socks off on the pitch.

If he don't, then he can **** off and close the door behind him. It's as simple as that.

[Robster007]

Wow.

[Neil Young]

One picture has seemed to create so much of a divide.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

:grouphug: