Will Nile Ranger make the most of his second chance?

Posted on October 28th, 2011 | 17 Comments |

Nile Ranger: A reformed character on the comeback trail?
Nile Ranger: A reformed character on the comeback trail?
The somewhat unexpected inclusion of Nile Ranger for Newcastle United’s ill fated League Cup encounter with Blackburn signals something a second chance for the young striker.

Although he is still way back in the pecking order, with Alan Pardew suggesting in a phone in on BBC Radio Newcastle’s “Total Sport” that even 19 year Sammy Ameobi has overtaken Ranger in the manager’s thoughts, he’s now back training with the first team and that’s a start. It’s cerrtainly something of an improvement on the previous situation, where he found himself completely out in the wilderness with the club simply itching to offload the recently troublesome young gangster striker permannently at the earliest available opportunity.

Whilst there could be several reasons for the club’s change of heart on Ranger, reasons such as the forthcoming loss of Demba Ba, and possibly Shola Ameobi to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, a rumoured improvement in his attitude in training, a recent impressive performace for the Reserves against Liverpool where he scored two goals, or possbly a lack of interest in a permanent £1 million move from other clubs due to his reputation preceding him, he still has some way to go to make up for lost ground. The question I will be asking in this piece, or specifically, the poll below, is can he make it?

Whilst his recent controversies include forthcoming court appearences for alleged drunk driving and assault, there has of course been a precedent with the Joey Barton show. After the ex-midfielder spent 77 days at Her Majesty’s Pleasure for assault, with a history of similar incidents before that, he subsequently reformed himself, going on to become Newcastle United’s “Player of the Season” for 2010/11. Of course, he was subsequently shunted out of the club for his controversial musings on Twitta, but I think you get my point.

Getting back to Ranger himself, he said in a recent interview on his tribulations:

“It has been frustrating, but you just have to get on with it.

“You have ups and downs in your career and you just have to be strong enough to get through it.

“I have not had the chance this season and I have not been told anything.

“My ultimate dream is still to play for Newcastle.”

Anyway, time will be the best judge on whether Ranger can resurrect his career at Newcastle United, but what do you think?

Poll

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1095 articles on this blog.

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Posted on by workyticket in category: Alan Pardew and Interviews and Nile Ranger and NUFC gossip and speculation and NUFC Reserves and Player indiscipline and Poll and Sammy Ameobi and Workyticket , with tags: ,
Comment on this post

17 Responses

  1. Not the most complimentary way to describe the youngster, gangster, accused of drunk driving and assault, still as yet unproven i assume ?

    Though it was mentioned, he recently scored twice in a reserves game against L’pool.

    At least he’s not beating up on his team mates or sticking glasses in people’s faces doon the Big Market.
    Funny how some people get all the negative attention, (the three Irish kids, showing their abs) and others can do no wrong.

    Give the kid a break, he does’nt need people demonizing him, over nothing (a toy gun for chri**sake) or unproven charges, he’s got a tough enough road ahead of him.

  2. I cant see this kid ever getting his act together. He needs to go out on loan and play somewhere as a starter and see if regular football will help him.

  3. worky – its a bugga of a question –
    I hope so, he is fast and has the talent, but its all in his head.
    You can’t realy write off a lad of his age in any job – I was very wild at his age but I was quietly bolocked, closely watched and guided, not publical crucified.

    Someone needs to decide not what sort of brat he is now but what sort of man he can become and judge him on that.
    If he makes it he could be very good indeed and will have something that will last him all his life.

  4. Stoke web site says “Newcastle United game will be one of the toughest of our season so far”
    let’s prove them right!

    Stoke 0 NUFC 1

    HWTL

  5. Supermac says:
    October 28, 2011 at 11:43 pm

    “worky – its a bugga of a question –
    I hope so, he is fast and has the talent, but its all in his head.”

    Aye it is from what I’ve heard though I won’t betray any confidences on here. His finishing seems to go tits up when he got his chances with the first team, and he’s said that he feels very “stressed”, and he does seem to feel the pressure generally at the very highest level. That’s certainly “in his head”. As for the rest, well that is too I suppose.

  6. chuck says:
    October 28, 2011 at 9:46 pm

    “Not the most complimentary way to describe the youngster, gangster, accused of drunk driving and assault, still as yet unproven i assume ?”

    Lighten up a bit Statler ye daft get! ;-)

    I was being somewhat tongue in cheek with the “gangster” reference as he certainly seems to embarace all that silly iconography from the “Gangster Rap” world.

    I was only stating the fact that he has been charged with the offences stated above and didn’t wish to imply that he was guilty in any way, that’s why I used the word “alleged”. I sincerely hope that he can put all this crap behind him and succeed, preferably with Newcastle United too.

    Happy now?

  7. Worky, why do you have to be “tongue in cheek” with the gangster reference ? The bloke is “apparently” playing the gangster card himself, fake guns, tatoos, drinking driving etc.

    Tell it like it is man, don’t quiver and back down just cos chucky has put the willy’s up you…

    At the same time Chucky is spot on there in his first post, what Ranger has been up to is peanuts compared to what the three Irish kids, (showing their abs etc) have been up to, certain other players can do no wrong. I reckon Ranger is an angel and him and his crew are just being victimised by the media in that horrible quayside/bigg market goldfish bowl.

    The toon made the great move of offering Ranger a 5 year contract on increased money, which of course he signed up pronto. Is he gonna leave to go on loan somewhere and leave all his non-football mates?….nah. Read “Alan Smith syndrome”, give me a better offer or I’ll sit tight here…
    btw…to ask the question has the bloke got it in him to make it big time…time will show. In the mean time he is being overtaken in the pecking order by steady lads like Sammi Ameobi..

  8. Ranger is an idiot, plain and simple.

    the way he acts is not befitting of the chances he has been given in life. while he and his buddy Best are lounging in the casino, cars parked on double yellows as always, what is Sammy Ameobi doing? he’s in extra training – or on the driving range working on his fitness.

    a “normal” person would be making the most of it, not acting the fool

    in MY OPINION he doesnt deserve to wear a Toon shirt, but then others will disagree

  10. Let’s get this into perspective.
    Ranger is 20 years old and of a generation who many of us can’t connect with – I hate their music, slang, dress and rudeness – in fact much in the same way my Dad blew a fuse over Mick Jagger & Ringo!
    I look at Ranger and his kind and shake my head in contempt. But that’s my fault not his.

    These days footballers have joined the ranks of movie stars & pop singers – we many not like their life styles but we buy their records (Ammie Whitehouse – despised her, but what a voice) and watch their films.

    Footballers have often not been angels – Best, Greaves, asbo, Tony Adams etc. When he was young I (and every other fan?) despised Becks – who is possibly now the most famous living english man and a family role model. Anyone else remember Peter Swan? England star jailed for match fixing – 10 years later came back for a final year and went on to train youth teams.

    So if he can play football that’s all I care about.

    Shearer was impressed enough to give Ranger an improved three-and-a-half year contract after 15 goals for the Under-18s and 7 for the reserves and winning the “Wor Jackie Milburn Trophy” !

    If he has not progress fast enough or does not do enough training – whose fault is that? Where’s the training & coaching discipline at the club for heaven’s sake! Why isn’t he too knackered by his fitness regime to go out at night? It’s no good the club just rolling its eyes in regret – do your job! Get him sorted out to play!

  11. Supermac, those are very good points.

    However, Greaves, Best and Adams were good enough on the pitch to allow many of their indiscretions to be overlooked (at least in the long-term, albeit after some short-term sanction).

    Ranger has so far not proved himself on the pitch, which means he doesn’t have the clout to get away with too much misbehaviour.

    If he has not progress fast enough or does not do enough training – whose fault is that?

    Also a good point. There is a long ‘chain of responsibility’ when it comes to producing a footballer and other people besides the player have to look at whether or not they’re performing their role adequately.

    However, don’t you think that some people will self-destruct regardless of how well they’re managed or otherwise handled by those with a responsibility for them?

    Not, I should add, that I’m particularly referring to Ranger with this reply. I’m merely responding to your interesting points.

    FWIW, I think Ranger must be in the last chance saloon by now. I think he has ability but as to whether or not he has one of those perpetually self-destructive characters is yet to be seen.

  12. Hugh – I’d agree to call it his last chance season – we should wait and give him a fair run (6-8 games on the trot incl subs) to see if he is “good enough on the pitch to allow many of their indiscretions to be overlooked”. I have a feeling that his speed & skill could be ideal for the young team we are building.

  13. Hugh de Payen says:
    October 29, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    “However, Greaves, Best and Adams were good enough on the pitch to allow many of their indiscretions to be overlooked (at least in the long-term, albeit after some short-term sanction).”

    Perhaps the greatest example of all was Garrincha. He made the players mentioned above look like Saints and was like an insatiable animal. He was also as good as Pele and together, they were completely unbeaten.

    He was poetry in motion when he had a football at his feet.

    http://economicpinballwizard.blogspot.com/2007/06/football-story-of-garrincha-little-bird.html

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EIkkqbrVkQo

  14. Garrincha! what a player. Like MacDonald if his legs were straight he’d have been over 6 foot tall.

  15. Supermac says:
    October 29, 2011 at 1:26 pm

    “Garrincha! what a player.”

    Supermac, he’s probably my second favourite player ever behind Cruyff.

    Have you ever read his biography? If you haven’t then you should. The bit about the goat sex at twelve, and also the Brazilian judge deliberating for SIX years on Garrincha’s “long male sex organ” is worth it on it’s it’s own.

    You don’t get stuff like that in Beckham’s biography! :-)

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garrincha-Triumph-Tragedy-Forgotten-Footballing/dp/0224064339

  17. supermac has got it spot on about this kid. He is a bit of a tear away, but weren’t we all as youngsters?

    It’s really unusual to see an online discussion about football where no one has said “rubbish” or “muppet” etc (although there was one who called him an’idiot’). So congrats toon army fans for keeping it civil and giving the lad a break. (I’m a scouser, trapped in London, but spent my childhood in the NE, so still follow the toon army)

    This is a few months on, but He just breached his bail again, hence my visit..