Leigh Griffiths

I'm not just talking about you with that comment.

Wait, so you weren't sure if Hooper contributed enough as the lone striker to be chosen over Stokes in European games? I think we will finish the debate here. It's getting silly now.

 

I don't disagree with that, I said his finishing is too notch by any standard. My point is that he got dropped despite being top scorer for them - he wasn't deemed good enough to lead the line himself and tbh I often thought the same about him while at Celtic. If you isolate Gary Hooper, he struggles, he isn't cut out for playing the lone striker role and is very reliant on those around him.

 

I agree with you on that.

Hoops scores goals its what he does best, the rest of his game pales in comparison to what Griff contributes.

Thats all I am suggesting, can we get back to how good Leigh is and how only he has come even close to matching henrik's fantastic goal tally's for us.

you have to compare a 40 goal striker with a 40 goal striker that for me is the real debate here.

Griff has * the * out of every other striker in recent history apart from the Greatest of the modern era.

Rather than nit picking on some failings he has (of which Larsson had some too) lets concentrate on promoting and really pushing him onto the next level which is exaclty what BR will be doing.

We should all want Leigh to go on and challenge what henrik has done and to even try and surpass that magical 53 goals.

It may or may not be likely I dont know excalty how many goals LG is going ot score for us but it will be a whole fuckton and we should ALL be right behind the wee man now

 

Are you saying that outside the box stokes did not offer much more than hooper?

Are you forgetting that stokes regularly set up 10-15 of hoopers goals each season?

 

Exactly in many ways it was actually stokes and commons that made gary hooper so deadly for us.

 

I like Hooper and he's a an excellent finisher, for me he'll always guarantee you a reasonable return pretty much irrespective of the standard. He is a player that needs support though, and that's the reason he often found himself sat on the bench at Norwich despite the goals. When your playing with 1 up front you don't just need a guy who is a penalty box striker and finisher, you need someone who can harass defenders, drag them out wide, open up spaces for the midfield/supporting attacker to exploit, someone who isn't going to tire and can score a variety of goals. We've got all that in Griffiths as well as a guy who's lethal on his left side from distance.

 

Bear in mind we are purely talking about the lone striking role here. Stokes proved he simply wasn't up to that role. On the other hand, Gary Hooper adapted his game to play as our lone striker, and got more goals in his final season than any other, when more often than not, playing as the lone striker, as Stokes was injured for a large part of the season.

 

He scored 31 goals in his final season, when more often than not playing as a lone striker. He was pivotal in getting us through to the last 16 of the Champions League, scoring twice against Spartak, setting up Forrest, and also won the foul which saw Spartak go down to 10 men. This was all playing the position he isn't cut out for as you put it.

 

@Markybhoy

Like yourself, I have been one of Griffiths' biggest critics on here, but sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say you may have been wrong.

My biggest criticism has always been that he isn't clinical enough in the high pressure matches, such as CL qualifiers or European matches in general, as well as the odd match in the SPL where we've struggled and he's been guilty of missing big chances. On top of that, I know it's a cliche now, but his link up play was always something that let him down.

However, last night he was superb. Two chances and two goals for him I think? And the free kick...he had no right to score that. Incredible strike. But the thing that impressed me more was his overall contribution to the play. He was winning headers to bring midfielders into the game, putting their centre halves under pressure the entire night.

I've always preferred Hooper, but he could never have done what Griffiths did last night. He doesn't have the energy, the determination, the ability in the air or the skill from a dead ball that Griffiths has.

Last night really changed my opinion on Griffiths. Long may it continue.

 

I would actually agree with a lot of that. Griffiths scored goals that Hooper wasn't capable of scoring last night. Last season at home to Ajax on the other hand, Hooper would have probably helped himself to a coupe of goals, whereas Griffiths struggled. They bring different qualities to the table.

 

But he was supported in attack. He had Commons and Samaras supporting him to great effect. He wasn't playing the same isolated striker role Griffiths was last season - with a midfield in dissaray and pretty much no support from the wide areas - and I don't think he could. In fact, he couldn't at Norwich, at least not well enough to maintain his place in their starting 11.

 

Hooper was a striker during a very good period. Champions league, hun Skelping and jelly n ice cream. These good memories can make you think a player is better than a current player who scored 40 in a * heal of tactical ineptitude, yet its been a tough time so memories aren't as fond. Watch him easily surpass any hooper now the good times are back and the memories will be filled with green n white.

 

He still finished their top goalscorer. He was also in and out that team as well if I remember correctly, as they also brought in Van Wolfswinkel, Elmander & Becchio, but only played with one up top.

 

Love Griff, can see him spending the rest of his career here.

 

This

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-zMY0i89GU&feature=youtu.be

nice fan view of the free kick goal.

funny going back to the start of the Thread that he was not wanted at first but now look we cant be without him in our team. He is THE MAN!.

 

griff cant do x y and z while scoring goals......he works at it and now can do x y and z while scoring * loads of goals.....griff cant score in europe like hooper....griff now scores in europe sets up goals and puts on a show i dont think hooper ever could.......erm ok lets move the goal posts again and start claiming he cant do something else if he was in some other league in some other country.....* sake...will this * never end........thank * its griff and not hooper playing for us.

 

That's exactly the right expression with Griffiths: moving the goalposts. It seems he always gets doubted and has to prove people wrong every step of the way, even here at Celtic. People have brought up the lack of a foreign name, but I wonder if there isn't also a wee bit of class prejudice at work here too.

Probably what made him who he is today.

 

By the way, I think it's no accident that he is playing so well when his confidence is high and it's no coincidence that BR always builds him up.