Anthony Stokes

Ronny was here last year as well mate...

 

But I just like to blame ronny

 

Watching it now as we speak.

I think what you seen from that, plus Deila's comments in recent weeks just goes to show Stokes' exclusion from the team is nothing to do with his footballing ability.

 

If people think Stokes is being left out for footballing reasons they're not well. Several inferior players get game time ahead of him, they are mostly the managers pets but whatever. Stokes delivers for us and his treatment by the Tyler Blackett of managers is a disgrace. It really is. He delivers on the pitch and cannot get near the side but at the same time players who dont deliver on the pitch and brown nose clown at training are picked. What's it all about?

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ronny-deila-isnt-ready-give-7033324

Said it himself, Stokes is a clown......off the park that is.

 

* it man, I would play him

 

Who cares? He delivers on the pitch and that's literally his job. And who the * does Deila think he is anyway dropping proven experienced players who have done more for Celtic than he ever will. I wish somebody would * drop him. Him and Lawwell are trolling the support at this stage.

 

Him and Guidetti are huge losses, we talk about Denayer and Van Dijk, and they are two far better players but those two pulled out wins from draws last year. This year we've been relying mostly on Griffiths.

 

Who cares? Obviously yer man Lennon cared as much too when he was dropping Stokes for disciplinary reasons, or was he.......*chuckle*.......trolling the support also?

 

It's a sin a guy with so much football ability is so * up .
I would have a focus see Stokes in my team any day .
I hope he wises up before it's too late .

 

Guidetti was a huge talent for us, and produced plenty of moments of magic - but again, attitude ruled over talent. It's an age-old problem with some footballers, and the majority of them need reigned in.......Griffiths is a prime example of how coaching/mentoring is required to change one's life perspective.

If Stokes gets his finger oot his hole and concentrated on what needs done, he'll be a Celtic player once more. If not, he'll add to the lengthy list of ex-Celts who'd wished they'd done more at/for the club.

 

I would say Ronny is actually quite fair though as who would you say are his "favourites"?

 

I think Stokes is a loss but not Guidetti, Guidetti for me was awful in about half his performances.

Stokes though had he played as first choice left-sided player this season would probably be on near 15 goals/assists which is probably double what we've had from everyone thats played there.

 

Not too sure about Guidetti tbh, he's more like a Tony Watt in my head. On the pitch his attitude was superb, just look at his reaction when he got the equaliser against Inter, scored in the Semi Final to get us back in it against Caley Thistle or his anger when McGowan at Dundee United made a properly scummy tackle on Henderson. I like that sort of attitude and his sort of cockiness in a team. He did loses his head for a while.

I still think his attitude is one you could turn into a major positive if you manage it carefully enough, we'd have had to have made a major offer for him immediately to get him though. I think his head was gone as soon as the negotiations went on a bit and faltered.

I think Stokes is the same, he can come up trumps, be petulent, be brilliant and frustrating all at the same time. Above all he's very consistent though.

It's a difficult balance between talent, attitude and professionalism. You just wonder how the likes of flawed geniuses like Jinky Johnston would have got on without a Jock Stein keeping a careful eye on him, forgiving indiscretions and occasionally booting arses for them. Different times, completely different gulf in class of both manager and player but something to think about all the same.

 

Between his goals and assists Guidetti contributed towards the most goals last season, closely followed by Stokes and Griffiths.

He is a big miss, regardless of whether you liked him or no.

Especially because first half of the season it was only really him and Stokes putting in match winning performances.

 

I know exactly what you mean mate. And im sure if our strikers just noo were getting the goals then nobody would be bothered too much about the stokes scenario. But thing's just seem so dry up front if Griffiths isn't on

 

Guidetti was a 50/50 player imo - was either extremely interested, or extremely disinterested - quality player though, shame he is a *.

Stokes could be just so much better for us if he would get his heed oot his own *.

The likes of Jinky etc - they were different times man, when players were close to the common man......no, they WERE common men - now footballers are too far gone from normality.

 

I agree with both points mate. We could do with him coming back into the team just now.

I know, very different times, doesn't mean we can't learn off the likes of Jock Stein, just tweak it for modern times. Think Pep Guardiola with Samuel Eto'o at Barcelona, he gave him a year to change his ways, played him, reaped the benefits, tried to get him fully around to his way of thinking and his professionalism and punted him for Ibra when it didn't work. When it didn't work out with Ibra he done much the same thing.

Don't cut your nose off to spite your face but make sure the situation ends up the way you want it as well.

Managers like that you can take a lot of lessons from.

Saying that, the method that Ronny is currently using is right out the Alex Ferguson handbook.

 

It's a hard one mate, really is.

Do you either stick with the guy and hope he overcomes his own personal issues (which I would assume affect team morale in some fashion), or do you exclude him.....attempt to nurture him whilst using the "looking in from the outside" method of showing the guy what he is missing, attempting to provoke him to try and bust a gut to regain his place in the team.

Personally I'd go with the latter.

 

Personally I think it changes depending on each persons character. He has 6 months left on his contract, if he doesn't do enough to earn another one due to off the pitch issues then fair enough but if we play him and reap the benefits of that, then I don't see any downside for us. That's the biggest problem for me just now, he can turn one point into 3, we need a few more match winners in the team so reliant on Griffiths, with Kris Commons getting more frequently injured.