I’m all for players ‘letting their hair down’ but when it comes at the expense of your manager’s beliefs then where is the line drawn? Despite “Mancini’s pleas to England pair Joe Hart and Adam Johnson to behave, the pair were pictured downing shots and beers along with Gareth Barry and Shay Given at a party in Scotland.”

The story comes as a slight shock considering it isn’t that long since Joe Hart and Adam Johnson were last given a stern ticking off in relation to their off field antics. Hart was seen enjoying himself in Spain before returning to International duty for England and Johnson has received criticism from Mancini regarding a supposed poor attitude.

It has been well documented that the “Italian coach finds the English drinking culture difficult to understand, claiming it would not happen in his homeland.” However, Mancini must understand, whether right or wrong, that there is a drinking culture in the country in which he is working. It could therefore, be argued that if his players, in their down time, wish to drink who is he to prevent them from doing so.

This argument however, is a double edged sword. I can understand Mancini’s reluctance to allow his players to drink as it is his neck on the line should results not go their way. Should players hedonistic exploits off the pitch affect their on field performances then surely Mancini has a point. It would also seem immensely unfair if the Italian was to lose his job due his player’s lack of responsibility.

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Some might feel that Mancini is making a mountain out of a molehill, “in a country where drink is a rite of passage for most teenagers why should we expect our young footballers to be any different?” Ryan Giggs serves as an example of a young gifted footballer who enjoyed a party here and a few drinks there, yet the former Welsh International is still playing at the age of 36.

In the modern game the Italian is not alone in his views adding weight to his stance on alcohol. Arsene Wenger once said that if “he had to pick one of the two, he would rather his players smoked than drank such was its debilitating effect.” This seems rather extreme considering the fact. Usain Bolt admits to a taste for Guinness, suggesting that, in moderation, drink does not have an entirely negative physical effect on professional athletes’ performance.

Having looked at the pros and cons of the modern footballer enjoying a drink, I personally do not have a problem with footballers enjoying a few drinks. I do however, alter my opinion when ‘these few drinks’ have an adverse affect on their professional and personal lives. You wouldn’t need to rack your brains to come up with an incident, or six, when a footballer’s irresponsible attitude towards alcohol has had disastrous consequences.

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