Nile Ranger

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

That was surprisingly good viewing. Poor kid just can't help himself. Doesn't blame the clubs for sacking him, recognises he keeps going off the rails but doesn't really seem to learn as he goes along. Said he doesn't have an agent - if anyone ever needed a good guiding influence… But he'd probably only find the wrong sort.

Yeah, poor kid. He goes to jail for 'some street robberies' - they just happened. They weren't his fault.
He steals a load of kit from Southampton - it just happened. It wasn't his fault.
He smashes a door in and smacks his girl friend and guess what?

What a poor, poor kid who everyone is against for some strange reason. Ever heard of taking responsibility for your own actions?

[Batch]

Said he doesn't have an agent - if anyone ever needed a good guiding influence…

Agent...good guiding influence...

?!???!???!???! Aren't they all the exact opposite?

[DarloSTFC84]

Such a waste of very good talent.

[Sippo]

Ye get me bruv....

Innit.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

Ye get me bruv....

Innit.

Rarr...

[Red Frog]

Yeah, poor kid. He goes to jail for 'some street robberies' - they just happened. They weren't his fault.
He steals a load of kit from Southampton - it just happened. It wasn't his fault.
He smashes a door in and smacks his girl friend and guess what?

What a poor, poor kid who everyone is against for some strange reason. Ever heard of taking responsibility for your own actions?

So basically what I said then.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

So basically what I said then.

I don't think so.

You seem to be saying "Aaah, poor kid what a shame, he can't help himself"

Whereas what I am saying is - Of course he can help himself. In fact he is has to, he is the only person who can. He needs to man the fuck up and take responsibility for his own actions.

[chalkies_shorts]

Ever heard of taking responsibility for your own actions?

Why should he when successive Governments and judicial systems pretty much ensure you don't need to any more.

[DarloSTFC84]

Why should he when successive Governments and judicial systems pretty much ensure you don't need to any more.

Amen.

[pauld]

I don't think so.

You seem to be saying "Aaah, poor kid what a shame, he can't help himself"

Whereas what I am saying is - Of course he can help himself. In fact he is has to, he is the only person who can. He needs to man the fuck up and take responsibility for his own actions.

Think RF was saying that too, just his sarcasm wasn't as blatant as yours. At least I hope so, anyway.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

Think RF was saying that too, just his sarcasm wasn't as blatant as yours. At least I hope so, anyway.

Maybe I've been wooshed but I didn't think he was being sarcastic.

[pauld]

Maybe I've been wooshed but I didn't think he was being sarcastic.

Maybe I have. I may have self-wooshed. I think at the very least we should ask RF for a clarification of who is the wooshee here

[fuzzy]

I don't think so.

You seem to be saying "Aaah, poor kid what a shame, he can't help himself"

Whereas what I am saying is - Of course he can help himself. In fact he is has to, he is the only person who can. He needs to man the fuck up and take responsibility for his own actions.

Whereas there are plenty of people with problems who can only help themselves with lots of help from medical professionals and prescribed medication.

I reckon there is a strong chance that if Nile were to spend some time being properly assessed psychologically, he would get a diagnosis and structured support.

[pauld]

I reckon there is a strong chance that if Nile were to spend some time being properly assessed psychologically, he would get a diagnosis and structured support.

I reckon there's an equally strong chance he'd get sectioned.

[Red Frog]

Well, I seem to have dropped back into another TEF lynch-mob episode. I always hate it when the TEF gets its pitchforks out.

No, for the avoidance of whoosh, I wasn't being sarcastic. I think it's sad to witness a bright talent going to waste for the want of the mental capacity to sort himself out. All that macho talk of manning up and taking responsibility is all very well, but I don't see what it changes. He's amply demonstrated that he's incapable of sorting himself out on his own. Like I said, he seriously needs help or else it's not just a football career but his whole life that he'll flush away, taking collateral victims with him. And I was suggesting he pays for that help, by the way.

I don't really see what solution those of you who think the government wastes endless millions on trying to turn around people like Nile would suggest instead. What should have been done differently by public authorities in his case? He's been judged and punished whenever the case has been proven. Recent Home Secretaries have lengthened minimum sentences, so more criminals are spending longer in jail, with the consequences we all know. If cramming prisons with a correspondingly lower emphasis on reforming criminals is your answer, then I hope you're ready to pay a lot more for locking a lot of people up for a lot longer.