Here is our Jack, again..

Is there suppose to be something wrong in these pictures?

Typical.

Yes Gustavo, there is plenty wrong.
A footballer smoking and drinking without any occasion. If he ever hopes to stay fit this is not the way to do it.

@ Zakzook: It's the summer, cut him some slack.

lol footballers aren't monks you know ? he does seem like he's a real twat outside football but who cares

Holidays is an occasion. And taking a puff from someone else's cigarette isn't really smoking. If he really wanted to smoke he could do it in private, but in public it's because he is just being social.

Cmon.. he is very young and the fact he is a footballer shouldn't stop him from having fun. The pics dont show how much beer or whatever that is he had or how many cigarets he had so I dont think it is that of a big deal.. He's on vacation, he should enjoy it as regular people would do.

I was thinking about selling him in my Soccer Manager, and I think I will now.

is the second picture joe hart atempting to kiss wilshere? O_o

Some chose the career and the sacrifice, some chose women and nightlife, his progression will be affected by that...
If Ronaldinho had a proffessional atitude, he would have been the greatest.

^ +1

guys you talk like wilshere has a bad attitude in football and as if he didn't have the motivation to become as good as he can be. The truth is, wilshere is only 22 but he has come back from not 1 or 2 but 6 major injury set backs already, and everytime he's worked very hard to be stronger and fitter. And no his progression won't be affected by going on holidays with friends, having a beer and taking a puff on a friend's cigarette. Wilshere told wenger he wanted to be captain at arsenal. He has the motivation, but unfortunately he also has the injuries. And the fact that our midfield is now super strong, and we might have someone like kedhira on his way, I'm starting to worry for him. And NOT because of one cigarette. When you're injured every other week it makes it hard to break through. Look at Diaby. I just hope wilshere doesn't know the same carreer as diaby and gets over his ankle problems.

@tiki what attitude did Ronaldinho have then??

Being from southern brazil almost guarantees that you enjoy "the night life". If Ronaldinho didn't enjoy those things he wouldn't play like he plays and wouldn't be who he is. It was his personality that made his football great.

"He transmits a lot of joy and pleasure playing the game, and he has individual skills that are of such a high level that everybody in the world adores him." —Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard

I see,Thanks :) I always liked how Ronaldinho used to smile during matches no matter what results, referees' decisions were, same feeling in the Frank's quote.

@Gustavo: I'm not sure I really buy that argument. That's essentially saying that people shouldn't try to improve their attitude, or prioritize their interests, because hedonism makes them who they are.

Ronaldinho's joy in playing would not have to be curbed by applying greater ambition and discipline. It's a fallacy to believe that his love of life had to be expressed in the manner of boozing and partying or else he would not have been able to make use of his talent. If anything, he will probably live in regret because he never truly fulfilled his potential.

Criticizing his attitude doesn't take away from his talent. It just points out that some of his talent went to waste.

People can change. And people can often change for the better. It doesn't remove who they are. It just improves them.

"It's a fallacy to believe that his love of life had to be expressed in the manner of boozing and partying or else he would not have been able to make use of his talent. If anything, he will probably live in regret because he never truly fulfilled his potential."

The real fallacy would be for either of us to say anything on this matter with 100% certainty.

"That's essentially saying that people shouldn't try to improve their attitude, or prioritize their interests, because hedonism makes them who they are."

I see your point, but I'm not making generalizations. Obviously people can improve themselves, but with Ronaldinho in particular I think he wouldn't be who he was had he been less hedonistic. Sure there was a possibility for him to be better, but I think his love of life had to be expressed in whatever manner he wanted it to in order for him to play football at all. With Ronaldinho I think it's either we get what we see or we don't get anything at all.

If improving your attitude is what makes footballers great then we would have a ton of them.

@Gus:

"With Ronaldinho I think it's either we get what we see or we don't get anything at all. "

You may be right, but I'm not convinced. I think he had even more to show us, but he just couldn't be bothered. We will never know for sure, I agree, but I don't think that takes away from the view that he should have tried, if he cared about it.

Maybe he just didn't care enough.

"If improving your attitude is what makes footballers great then we would have a ton of them."

We do. Miroslav Klose is the all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup. Arjen Robben's attitude today compared to his Chelsea (and Madrid) days is much, much better. Frank Lampard became of one his generation's best midfielders by sheer hard work and improvement. This list could go on forever.

I think people give too many passes to players with 'issues'. Genius doesn't vanish just because it is being focused; if anything it becomes more potent. We hold this to be true in every other walk of life, so why not football?

3 players, or whatever the number is, out of the millions who try to become professional footballers is not a ton. That's what I meant. Maybe I should have said worded it differently.

"Genius doesn't vanish just because it is being focused; if anything it becomes more potent. We hold this to be true in every other walk of life, so why not football?"

Again, we shouldn't generalize. For Ronaldinho, I don't think it would have worked out.

I think that out of those millions who try, it's mostly those who have a good attitude who are the ones who make it. I think that any youth coach in the world will tell you the same thing, and so would most senior coaches. Once upon a time, Ronaldinho tried his hardest, every game, and was dedicated to his football. It's what made him incredible.

It's when the night-life became more important to him than football that his talents became wasted.