Should Stokes be dropped?

A strikers main strength = scoring goals, something Stokes isn't use to lately.

Hopefully Leigh displaces him asap.

 

A teams main strength is winning games. Would you be happy say, if he had scored an extra 10 but not set up any?

 

That's better than I thought this season.

 

100%.

 

He is our second top assister this season, 3 behind Izzy. I maintain its not his all round play that's been shoddy, he's just not scoring as much as we are used to from him.

 

Don't understand your need to defend a striker that's scored 7 goals this season for Celtic. 7 goals?!

Samaras has more than that and Commons has 3 times Stokes's amount.

He's been average/mainly poor about 8 out of every 10 games he has played throughout this season, especially on the European scene.

Griffiths will be a breath of fresh air to have playing.

 

Until he goes a few games without scoring, then he will get the treatment like everyone else does.

 

Can you answer that question?

I'm defending him because I think his all round play has been good and his link up play is a major reason that Commons has the amount he does, there has been a * of a lot of goals from him this season that he just fills the space that Commons leave, he's also one of the most creative players in our team and a person who can do something out of the blue, I like that in a player.

I've said several times he needs to score more goals but right now he looks like the best option for me, if Leigh Griffiths comes in and proves that he can work as well for the team while scoring then I'll be delighted with that as well and he should have Stokes place in the team. He'll need to earn that though.

What we need to do is to keep the fluidity of the team up because that's why we are scoring so many goals this season and Stokes is a major part in that for me.

I don't judge players on stats, I judge them by how they are playing. Any more performances like his second half today though and Griffiths comes in, simple as that for me.

 

If Leigh gets the chances Stokes has been lately he'll finish them.

 

I think that it is important but not 100% necessary. Its important to keep the irish roots intact, hard to explain with my crappy english. I respect your opinion to 100% though.

 

Decent debate here.

Stokes is a good footballer, and there is no doubt he has contributed a lot in terms of general play this season. Think his movement and awareness up front has played a big part in Commons goal tally this season.

However, I have to agree that he should be getting more goals than he has. Same thing can be said of Pukki, though.

But as long as we have one main goalscorer, a number of others capable of chipping in, and a solid defence - we will keep winning games.

 

Are you basing that on what Leigh has done for other clubs? Because Stokes used to score for fun with Hibs and Falkirk as well.

Playing for Celtic and not being the focal point through which everything flows presents it's own challenge as well you know.

 

This is mainly my point, I don't want us changing a winning formula just to get the strikers on the scoresheet more, it defeats the purpose of football for me. Keep playing the way we are and we're sorted.

The only problem is you can see it's starting to weigh on his mind and it definitely is with Pukki as well.

 

You're right, mate. He also hasn't been able to form a partnership with anyone since Hooper left. One week he's playing with Pukki, then on his own, then Commons, then he's injured. He's clearly suffering because of that.

 

:icon_mrgreen:

 

Leigh isn't use to playing with clubs that create multiple chances throughout games (with the possible exception of Wolves this season).

Griffiths will thrive on that, Stokes has almost went the other way after 3/4 seasons with Celtic and seems like he's got too use to being with a club that create lots of scoring opportunities, seems to miss a heck of a lot more than he did at first with us.

Although Stokes was never a potent finisher that'd take say 2 or 3 shots for a goal, he seems to take more chances to score nowadays than before.

 

Voted yes, I think that he needs a break. He would have scored that chance when he was clean though last year, but he tried to take more touches than necessary and wasted the chance.

 

didn't see much of the game today but did see that miss .... was bad but dropping him wont help his confidence .