Anthony Stokes

I totally agree. I think it was the right choice to start Samaras but I was disgusted that Lenny didn't stick Stokes on. Two front men were having an awful day, surely its only common sense to give are top goal scorer a chance. I stick by Lennon through and through but thought he made the wrong decision on Sunday.

 

stokes will get games now but hes put pressure on himself

 

I honestly think Stokes is one of these players who can run riot against average SPL opposition but would be no good above that level including a decent level in England, OF games or Europe. Kind of like Kris Boyd that way. There is just something about Stokes that looks to me that he would get no change out of a good quality CH with decent concentration. I think Sammy seems to give the Rangers CHs nightmares with his mobility and size. I think Weird would have Stokes in his pocket.

 

No so sure. I think Sammy did give them a good work out and made him have to do a lot more moving around than he would against most players. It was just one of those days where it didnt come off. Weir has about as good a CH brain as you could ever have and its only pace he cant handle. Stokes is a good player in his own way but he lacks pace and strength.

 

He'd better get a chance against the fuckpigs,I didn't complain too much as we were annihalating the scum but but he deserves to be starting so much more than 2goal Sammy-even though he has played great against them.

 

I think people are buying it that Stokes can't cut it against tougher oposition but I think it's nonsense.. I'd even say Boyd if given a proper chance would have done a decent job but clearly he didn't fit the mould of a workhorse that fits into the huns 5-4-1 , 4-5-1 system.. There is no excuse for not playing Stokes as part of a 4-4-2 against the huns.. He scored against us when he was at Falkirk and he scored against the huns when he was at Hibs playing as a striker.. If the criteria for him to play against the huns is that he has to drop wide and be some kind of equivalent to naismith or lafferty then maybe that fixture isn't for him , but why should we give that level of respect to the huns that we change our gameplan just for them when we have a system that works for the majority of domestic fixtures..

 

Nor me. I think Stokes is ideally suited to play against inferior opposition. Away at ICT, home to Hibs and St. mirren Hoops and Stokes will do fine. When it comes to the big games i.e. Old Firm and european games, Georgy Samaras is your man.

 

i just cant wait to see the next game (hopefully stokes starts and scores) to help move the hurt on.

 

Stokes should start every game alongside hooper for me, i dont buy in to the idea that he is only a player to play against the smaller teams, hes scored 18 goals this season, 22 last season for a so call inferior team, including a few against us and the huns at celtic park and ibrox

 

This partnership of Hooper and Stokes is the best out there and has'nt been tested against them in the formay that this team plays now ,We know Celtic got humped in the 1st game against them but they have came a long way since but Stokes has'nt featured as a starter against them .

January 2nd of this year i think most on here were dreading the game against them at thipox but Sammi got 2 and game over so he was a starter against them from then on and Celtic got the results needed but on Sunday when Celtic were chasing a goal,why Loovens brought on for Rogne when really at this time in the game Stokes should have been put on and Celtic could have went with there normal 4-4-2 with Hopper and Stokes up front .

Hooper has taking a beaten on here and rightly so but Sammi is'nt the player to form a partnership with ,he plays out wide most of the game while Stokes and Hooper mainly play through the middle ,Hooper was left exposed to much on Sunday and a lot of the game broke down when Sammi was on the ball ,i see the idea of starting with Sammi but i also seen it was'nt doing the damage after an hour and should have been changed ,wether it would have made the difference we will never know but gambles must be played in times of need ,what was happening on the field at that time was'nt happening for Celtic.

 

Sammi has had his fair share of good games but stokes is by far a better player imo!

 

Even if he's not starting against the huns , he should still be considered a vital part of the gameplan.. Managers tend to be looking at making subs from 60 minutes onwards when things aren't working.. At the 60 minute mark we still had another hour to play on Sunday so maybe that worked in favour of the guys already on the pitch to be given more time , or because of Rogne going off using up one substitution , but to play two hours of football and he doesn't even get a look in is poor.. If we'd played fantastically well , creeating chance after chance , or even played half decent with the front two linking up then there would be a good arguement for keeping it going.. What it does now is add doubt about playing Sammy/Hooper for the visit to Ibrox.. If Hooper/Stokes play the next 3/4/5 games and bang them in then Lenny's got a big decision to make going into that game.. The huns for instance played Wylde against us in a recnt game and he looked pish.. He then has one decent showing in Europe and he keeps his place for the game against us where he played well.. If you have momentum you have to go with it.. I felt keeping Sammy in the team was keeping the momentum going even though he's scored 0 to Stokes's 9 since the Ibrox game.. That doesn't mean that when the next huns fixture arrives in a months time that Sammy should be an automatic start..
He should have to prove his worth before then , while Hooper , Commons and Stokes also need to make it hard for Lenny to leave them out of the game.. Our Tynecastle fixture is also likely to be just as tough as Ibrox..

 

Stokes plays well against the minnows so he should start against the ICT. (Should keep his Da quiet for a while too..). But when it comes to more quality opposition, Lennon knows to start Sammy. Sammy is rested until the big games come along and then Hoops and stokes have to take a back seat i'm afraid. A back seat on the bench.

 

Dont agree with that 1 bit mate. Stokes has proved at his time at Hibs that he can do the business against the huns. ie, Goal of the season last year and fastest goal in SPL history.

As for Hooper and Stokes taking a back seat for Sammy, Ridiculious quote.
The pair of them have thorn every side apart this year apart from the huns, Reason been that have not started a game together against them.

 

are you high or watching a completely different game Samaras is utter * so why should our 2 top goal scorers who also have a great partnership take a back seat to a waste of space player that cant score against ANYONE never mind a team of quality

 

That's a subjective opinion. I happen to think that Sammy is our best striker, not only for goals but for the assists and hold-up play, allowing our midfielders to join the attack...
Sammy is your man for quality opposition. Lennon knows this, Strachan knows this, his internationalist manager knows this, that's why Sammy plays against the Huns and quality european/international opposition. The facts are undeniable but you keep Sammy bashing. More knowledgable people like our current manager, past managers and international managers realise the value of Sammy and play him accordingly. While Sammy bashers keep on bashing, wanting the Hoops/Stokes League Division One partnership for our great club. Not going to happen i'm afraid. They can watch how it's done from the bench, learn from Sammy how to hold up the ball, draw fouls and provide flick-ons and goal assists, and score important European goals. Then and only then could they be considered to partner the big man up front.

 

What goals?How many has he scored in 2010 and 2011?He's mince mate.

 

after the first bit i tried not to laugh 2 league goals this season, 3 in 13 months, you are right the facts are undeniable sammy doesnt score goals and hooper and stokes do. FACT.

one of sammys problems is he doesnt know when to realease the ball once hes held it up his passing and decision making are ridiculous

score important europen goals ? as far as i can remember sammys only got 3 or 4 goals in europe, stokes joined after we were out of europe and hooper scored against braga and was also injured at the start of the season