Anthony Stokes (F free agent b.1988)

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Originally Posted by kingdom hoop

I wasnt arguing for his inclusion in the squad, just said "i'd rather see him play in front of clinton and alan lee at the moment", in fact i'd prefer long and clarke to be selected, but if it was between connolly or morrison my vote would be connolly- i dont see why you had to argue at length this point in this thread, its pretty much a toss up anyway, start a 'top 10 current irish strikers' thread if you feel strongly

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Wasn't an argument just a selection of how I think the pecking order should go.

I like Connolly. I think he's under rated. Not the most versatile of forwrds but will prosper in the right line up. Same way Kevin Phillips did with Niall Quinn. Apparently Connolly kept Phillips on the bench during their Watford days too. I think he has a great footballing brain but doesn't have the abillity or stature to back it up. I've been sticking up for him for years. Stick I got off the lads after Japan though

Last season was his first in the premiership. He never won promotion to the Premiership with any team to be dispanded. West Ham sold him to Leicester the year before they were promoted. West Ham Signed him from Wimbledon. Wimbledon signed him from Feyenoord. He excelled on loan at Excelsior (Or whatever). Held in good stead still in Feyenoord by all accounts too. Scoored a couple for them against Ajax. Too late to make a real impact though. And I wouldn't even consider him if Robbie Keane was available. Those too cannot play together. I think he values his Irish career too. Watch him belt out Amhrann na bhfiann before a game.

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Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

How can Morrison be ahead of Long???? This young lad is in the top half of the Premiership and has amazing potential. Clinton is on the slide big time.

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International football is about picking the best players at present. While Long has great potential he is still unproven.

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Originally Posted by dr_peepee

Last season was his first in the premiership. He never won promotion to the Premiership with any team to be dispanded. West Ham sold him to Leicester the year before they were promoted. West Ham Signed him from Wimbledon. Wimbledon signed him from Feyenoord. He excelled on loan at Excelsior (Or whatever). Held in good stead still in Feyenoord by all accounts too. Scoored a couple for them against Ajax.

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i stand corrected on the promotion bit - really thought he had been involved with teams that went up but apparantely not.

Re: Feyenoord. i met a few lads from rotterdam and they couldn't stand him. he was on stg£20k per week (which is absolutely MASSIVE in dutch terms & made him top earner at the club) when he was signed and made no impact whatsoever (according to them), they never mentioned anything about him scoring against Ajax but maybe he did. anyway his impact was so little that after a couple of months they sent them to Excelsior who play in 2nd or 3rd division and are a feeder club for Feyenoord. don't know how he feared there but it is supposidily a cat standard. anyway he was back in england in no time.

can't think why we're still talking about this man. stokes, keane, doyle, lee & long offer more than he does albeit in the case of long it is potential. morrison and connolly are not what we need hanging around the place espically as we're building for 2010 (supposidely). at best they are 4th and 5th choice and will only get a run if we are crippled with inuries and even then stan would probably opt for duffer up front so we'd be better off introducing the above players to the fold.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

Can't see how anyone could justify having him in the squad. I'd suggest our striker's should be selected in this order if fit:

1. Doyle
2. Keane
3. Elliot
4. Stokes
5. Morrison
6. Murphy
7. Lee
8. Connolly
9. Long
10. Clarke
11. Keogh

I can see Connolly dropping further down this list in the next few months if he begins to be frozen out of Sunderland by the arrival of Stokes which, if we consider his fairly poor goalscoring record, is likely to happen. Long, Clarke, Keogh and possibly Rooney at Stoke (he'll get more time on the pitch with Bangoura gone) also could climb up this table if they progress over the next few months (Clarke and Keogh should continue to get regular football and develop though I'm a bit worried about Clarke's lack of goals since his return from injury).

I just can't see any reason for including him in the squad in future. Needs to be phased out.

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Honestly how can you seriously consider putting Doyle ahead of Keane, what does Robbie Keane have to do to get respect?

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Originally Posted by Qwerty

Honestly how can you seriously consider putting Doyle ahead of Keane, what does Robbie Keane have to do to get respect?

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Stop whinging? maybe, and start scoring goals again this season.

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Originally Posted by galwayhoop

was in the bar of the team hotel after the spain match, the players we're in the restaurant having a meal and from the hallway you could see the players through the glass. every one of the supporters to a man was absolutely gutted and i saw connolly laughing and joking like it was playtime... lost a lot of respect for him then - most of the rest of the squad looked down in the dumps and it didn't knock a dot outta connolly - despite the fact he had missed one of the penalties. lost a lot of respect for him then.

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one of the things that annoyed me about that world cup ( and i was there) was how a lot of the irish fans went to the hotel to see the players straight after the game, i mean i was in a taxi with 5 guys who went straight to the players hotel, i didint i was GUTTED, i only wanted to go home and be depressed
what with the need to see the players, they lost, we lost? is it celebrity, or do ye guys care about the fcukin game?
showed up the real fans that time to me

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1. Doyle
2. Keane
3. Elliot
4. Stokes
5. Morrison
6. Murphy
7. Lee
8. Connolly

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how can Connolly not be at least equal to Elliott and Murphy when he is equal to them in goals at Sunderland (and on hotter form). Also, Morrison and Stokes would only questionably be above him (depending on how Stokes does over the next month and whether or not Morrison can get his form back from earlier this season)

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Originally Posted by galwayhoop

was in the bar of the team hotel after the spain match, the players we're in the restaurant having a meal and from the hallway you could see the players through the glass. every one of the supporters to a man was absolutely gutted and i saw connolly laughing and joking like it was playtime... lost a lot of respect for him then - most of the rest of the squad looked down in the dumps and it didn't knock a dot outta connolly - despite the fact he had missed one of the penalties. lost a lot of respect for him then.

anyway the fact is he has not cut it at international level or in many attempts at premiership level. he is what he is - a decent championship player who has found his level. please don't darken our door while we have so much emerging talent

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Thats a crock of **** I've seen footage of him either crying or something near it and giving McCarthy (the famous picture is of Quinn) a hug after that match. Watch "The Saipan Saga" you'll see. No account of it here either. Or here for* that matter. You were likely drunk, are you sure it was him? However, it is my fault it started, but the Connolly discussion is for another topic, another time

*A different match though he clearly doesn't not give a ****

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Originally Posted by The Legend

Stop whinging? maybe, and start scoring goals again this season.

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Agree I think the Irish team would be better off without Robie Keane, doesn't set a good example for other players. Can't remember the last time he a really good game for Ireland, can score against rubbish teams better defenders have no problem with him!!

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Originally Posted by Condex

Agree I think the Irish team would be better off without Robie Keane, doesn't set a good example for other players. Can't remember the last time he a really good game for Ireland, can score against rubbish teams better defenders have no problem with him!!

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I seem to remember him scoring against Germany, the World Cup Finalists that year but perhaps they all have rubbish defenders. He has also scored against Yugoslavia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Holland, Russia, Denmark, Spain, Crotatia and Sweden: all total lightweights. DOn't let facts get in the way of sweeping statements about our all time record scorer. Who else has performed up front for US that you would like to replace him with?

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Originally Posted by bennocelt

one of the things that annoyed me about that world cup ( and i was there) was how a lot of the irish fans went to the hotel to see the players straight after the game, i mean i was in a taxi with 5 guys who went straight to the players hotel, i didint i was GUTTED, i only wanted to go home and be depressed
what with the need to see the players, they lost, we lost? is it celebrity, or do ye guys care about the fcukin game?
showed up the real fans that time to me

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p1ss off - i was absolutely devastated - didn't talk to anyone for at least 2 hours after match. the hotel wasn't a mass celebration more of a post mortem. went into itawon (sp?) soon after but was there for an hour or so.

fair plat to ya for going home afterwards thats your decision, personally i wanted to do nything to distract myself to take my mind off the whole thing and to me that involved going to the pub and getting ****ed.

if you think you are more of a supporter than me because i didn't go back to my hotel and stare at the wall then you are deluded.

having spent a small fortune at going to japan/korea and facing the ordeal of organising flights ..etc the next day having a blow out doesn't mean you're not a 'real fan'.

did you walk up croke patrick barefoot when you got home. get off your pedistol big man

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

I seem to remember him scoring against Germany, the World Cup Finalists that year but perhaps they all have rubbish defenders. He has also scored against Yugoslavia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Holland, Russia, Denmark, Spain, Crotatia and Sweden: all total lightweights. DOn't let facts get in the way of sweeping statements about our all time record scorer. Who else has performed up front for US that you would like to replace him with?

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personally i don't think we are better off without robbie and have respect for what he has done. However, he hasn't played for ages and starting with him on the bench against san marino would not be a bad thing - there are other players who are on form at the moment and therefore deserve to start ahead of him due to him being not at all sharp. also i feel all players, incl. duff and keane, need to feel like there is genuine competition for their places or else they slip into a comfort zone - the preverbial kick up the hole.

BTW just going through the above list it is striking how long all of them goals were (except sweden and that was a friendly) - don't know if that is a blot on robbie or our national team as a whole - the latter i fear

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Originally Posted by galwayhoop

Re: Feyenoord. i met a few lads from rotterdam and they couldn't stand him. he was on stg£20k per week (which is absolutely MASSIVE in dutch terms & made him top earner at the club) when he was signed and made no impact whatsoever (according to them), they never mentioned anything about him scoring against Ajax but maybe he did. anyway his impact was so little that after a couple of months they sent them to Excelsior who play in 2nd or 3rd division and are a feeder club for Feyenoord. don't know how he feared there but it is supposidily a cat standard. anyway he was back in england in no time..

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I always thought Feyenoord fans liked Connolly. I had to google it and found a post from a Dutch guy on this very site:

http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=78396&postcount=7

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Hey, more dutchies on the forum. joeSoap is almost right. With David Connolly Excelsior almost became champions of the first division. But Feyenoord (who owned Connolly) took him back to Feyenoord in the winterbreak. In Holland winterbreak is in the middle of the season. Excelsior fans blamed Feyenoord for they thought that Feyenoord would not let Excelsior promote to the highest division. But if it wasn't for Feyenoord they would never have get that far. Connolly was loved by the Feyenoord fans but never really made it. A year later Excelsior promoted and was relegated a year later.

See you in Kralingen Heracles Almelo....

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He was a bit of a fans favourite even though he wasn't scoring, just because he always gave 100%.

Also:
" Connolly's career has been in limbo for over two years following a bust-up with then Feyenoord boss Leo Beenhakker, who told him he would never play for the club again.

Feyenoord fans have recently started chanting his name during matches and manager Bert van Marwijk responded by including the Irish international in his squad for yesterday's 3-1 league win over Ajax, now managed by Beenhakker."

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...&issue_id=3519

Connolly has just scored with an assist from Stokes. Sixth in eight for him now.

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Originally Posted by FarBeag

Connolly has just scored with an assist from Stokes. Sixth in eight for him now.

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I read it was Whitehead's cross but SAFC.com says Stokes, but I dont care :)
EDIT: On the same site it said that it was Whitehead, the commentators said it was Stokes

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

I seem to remember him scoring against Germany, the World Cup Finalists that year but perhaps they all have rubbish defenders. He has also scored against Yugoslavia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Holland, Russia, Denmark, Spain, Crotatia and Sweden: all total lightweights. DOn't let facts get in the way of sweeping statements about our all time record scorer. Who else has performed up front for US that you would like to replace him with?

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He made his first senior appearance for the Republic of Ireland against the Czech Republic in Olomouc in March 1998...

Any other half decent striker would have done the same in 9 years...

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Originally Posted by Condex

He made his first senior appearance for the Republic of Ireland against the Czech Republic in Olomouc in March 1998...

Any other half decent striker would have done the same in 9 years...

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But no other striker has done it for Ireland

Stokes nets winner on Sunderland debut

A thousand monkeys at a thousand computers wouldn't make this mistake.

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Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

Maybe we'd like him more if he was a truly committed Irishman, like Leon Best or Terry Dixon.

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And what insight do you have into Terry Dixon's commitment?

Or are you out fishing again ? :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

I seem to remember him scoring against Germany, the World Cup Finalists that year but perhaps they all have rubbish defenders. He has also scored against Yugoslavia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Holland, Russia, Denmark, Spain, Crotatia and Sweden: all total lightweights. DOn't let facts get in the way of sweeping statements about our all time record scorer. Who else has performed up front for US that you would like to replace him with?

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I agree, he has also had to drop back & try to compensate for a crap midfield.