[Link] Anthony Stokes

If he goes,it aint going to be Bolton.

 

Imo Stokes isn't good enough to guarantee himself a position on our bench. So any good offer and he goes.

The same goes for Pukki, Derk, Rogic etc etc.

 

You talk some amount of pish. Nobody thinks he is the second coming just that some of us see him as a valuable squad player, you know what that is? A squad player? Not a first team player, not the messiah, a squad player. One of about 25 players usually.

The Day Anthony Stokes can't get in our 25 man squad is the day I start rejoicing because it will mean we have a very very talented group of players.

 

Who is ahead of him for our bench? Pukki, Derk, Brozek, Rasmussen, Bangura?

Need I go on?

 

500 grand, this place is getting worse..

I have a feeling stokesy might not be here next season for a couple of reasons, he's stepped out of line a couple of times under Ronny and also he's now not a guaranteed starter, which will irk him. Still though, anyone who can't see that he brings quality to us in terms of goals and setting them up as well as link up play, is blind. He's not a great player but definitely a more than good enough squad player..

 

Nah keep him if its only 1.5 million.

 

With everyone fit the starting XI and bench would look something like this. (Left loan players in because we will have to replace them next season will equal or better quality players.)

Gordon
Lustig
Denayer
VVD
Izzy
Bitton
Brown
GMS
Johansen
Armstrong
Griffiths

Zaluska
Matthews
Efe
Mulgrew
Commons
Forrest/McGregor
Guidetti/Scepovic/Stokes

He's challenging for a place on the bench, so he is expendable at the right price.

 

Guidetti wont be here next season, Scepovic is worse than Stokes and Stokes isn't challenging for a striker spot.

He is direct competion with Armstrong who has had more bad games for us this season than Stokes has... and he's only been here since February!

I would have Stokes in the team at the expense of Armstrong at the moment never mind on the bench, especially on the left.

 

£2m+ and they can have him. We can put that towards a centre-half or a striker. Anything less, then no. He guarantees goals and they're hard to buy.

 

You've actually made a great argument for getting rid of Stokes here.

We can't play Stokes LW in Europe, we would get torn apart. So we have a player capable of playing one position and only against lesser opposition. That type of player can be punted at the right price.

 

He only gets goals against Scottish opposition. We have a number of players in the squad capable of doing that.

 

I don't think Lenny would want him



Dont know why though,just my opinion.

 

I know. That makes him a valuable asset.

How many of the forwards we've brought in recently have contributed anywhere near the number of goals and assists Stokes has? Pukki? Boerrigter? Tonev? Wakaso? Miku? Lassad? Bangura? Baldé?

Stokes is a good squad player. If we're well compensated, I have no problem with him moving on (I think you said £1.5m which is fair) but we shouldn't be in any hurry to offload him. Certainly not before a few others who contribute hee-haw.

 

Think it's time for him to move on.

 

If the money's right, it's time to move on though. Let Deila bring in his own players.

 

I'd let him go think he's ran his race here

 

Assuming VVD, Denayer and Guidetti leave, along with Wakaso, Tonev etc and getting rid of the likes of Pukki and Derk then I would like to see our squad look something like this...

Gordon
Zaluska
Fasan
Matthews
Lustig
Mulgrew
Ambrose
New CB
New CB
Izzy
New LB
Brown
Bitton
New DM
Henderson
Armstrong
Forrest
GMS
Stokes
Commons
Johansen
Griffiths
New Striker
New Striker

Can supplement the rest of the squad with youth players.

That's 6 players I think we need, unrealistic you say, we'll never buy 6 players ready for our first team you say. Well how many would we need if we listened to the zoomers on here that think we are Man City and can afford to just punt tried and tested players on a whim, with no thought to how the * we replace them.

Hopefully we can get rid of the rest who never get any game time because for too long we've let these players float around Celtic Park doing fuckall. Just cut our losses and get them off the wage bill.

Does anyone see what I'm trying to say about Stokes being a valuable SQUAD player? We aren't dripping in top quality throughout our squad, in fact quite the opposite. We have a shitload of * dross on our books who need to be punted long before Stokes, Mulgrew, Commons or Forrest.

In an ideal world they will eventually be replaced because that will mean our first team and bench is loaded with talent good enough to force them onto the fringes of the squad.

In an ideal world.

 

it would be in his best interest to go some were he can play off a main central striker or in a 2 up top, i cant see him ever getting that here now, if he wants to play regular first team football, its best if he goes, but he may want to stay and fight for his place, all be it out of position.