Anthony Stokes (F free agent b.1988)

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

A mate tells me Roddy Forsyth said on RTE last night that Celtic & Falkirk were both set to bid for him outright. Anyone else hear this?

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I'm sure there will be loads prepared to make an offer for him but I don't think Arsenal would let him go permanently yet. Liam Brady was at the game on Wednesday night, presumably assessing Stokes. From what I hear his father has been very influential in his sons career to an extent that it has become a irritant to young Stokes employers. His father seemingly, works as an adviser to young Irish kids going to England. The same company headed by the guy who had his agents licence suspended over the Ashley Cole case. If memory serves me right it is also the company who left an young Irish boy stranded at the airport in England, when he went over for a trial.

The most Falkirk would be able to spend is about £250k. I don't see why Arsenal would accept that unless there's something like a 50% sell on clause. :)

An extended loan deal suits both Falkirk and Arsenal.
It's the most likely outcome.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

The most Falkirk would be able to spend is about £250k. I don't see why Arsenal would accept that unless there's something like a 50% sell on clause. :)

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I wonder would they have taken a figure like that before the loan move?

They still might take a couple of million though, which Celtic could pay.

Its a bit early... best scenario for him is playing out a full season at Falkirk...
If he keeps up his form, I would hope Wenger would give him a chance next season.

I wouldn't want Celtic to pay a couple of million for him now anyway. Football is littered with players who signed for clubs on the basis of a short good spell and then did feck all.

I have high hopes for Stokes but I'd want to see how he did for at least a season before he went anywhere. He's played less than 10 senior games remember.

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Originally Posted by Peadar

Falkirk paly Hearts on Monday night so I can't see Stokes featuring in the B International the next night.

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The news is that Falkirk's manager has given Stan the ok to play Stokes in the B game.

An interview with Stokes:

http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?t...olific+striker

Premiership sides flock around Arsenal’s Stokes


November 13, 2006

Three Premiership sides are rumoured to be weighing up January moves to prise Republic of Ireland youth international starlet Anthony Stokes away from Arsenal.

Stokes has hit the headlines in recent weeks following an exceptional run of form for Falkirk, where he has been on loan for the past two months.

Ten goals in his last five games – including back-to-back hat-tricks – have catapulted him to the top of the Scottish Premier League’s scoring charts.

Bairns manager John Hughes wants the 18-year-old to stay on for the rest of the SPL season, but with his initial loan deal due to expire at the end of the year, could face a real struggle to keep him at Falkirk Stadium.

Manchester City, Everton and Middlesbrough are all reportedly monitoring the situation with a view to a transfer offer in the New Year.

SPL champions Celtic – against whom Stokes scored in the CIS Insurance Cup last week – and Sunderland, where he spent time on trial in August, are also said to be keen on the freescoring teenager.

Stokes faces a hectic schedule over the next 36 hours, with Falkirk taking on Hearts in a televised SPL clash tonight (Monday) before he travels to Dublin for Tuesday night’s ‘B’ international against a Scotland XI at Dalymount Park.

Gravesen scoring a hat-trick might take off some of the gloss for Anthony :D

i've been watching stokes for a number of years and the only thing that suprises me is that it's taken him so long to rise to the surface and bring this sort of hype that currently surrounds him.
he's an excellent young player and has everything to potentially be a big star, he does all the hard things and makes them look so easy.
his touch, movement skill, dribbling and shooting are all excellent. all i'd like to see him add to his game are the 'easy' things.
he seems to drift in and out of games only showing flashes of his brilliance. with the right coaching he could become a more general all-round striker.

good to see him get some scrappy goals too, because he only ever seemed to score the spectacular ones at under age and arsenal.

Did anyone see how Stokes did against Hearts? Any injury worries bout him for the B game?

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Originally Posted by kingeric

i've been watching stokes for a number of years and the only thing that suprises me is that it's taken him so long to rise to the surface and bring this sort of hype that currently surrounds him.

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Yeah, I agree. He has been 18 since the summer and should be in the Arsenal first team as well as being a full international at this stage. What the hell has he been doing with himself! Perhaps he's just a late bloomer!?

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Originally Posted by passinginterest

Did anyone see how Stokes did against Hearts? Any injury worries bout him for the B game?

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Watched the game last night, and Anthony did ok. The ball in to him was terrible for the most part and any time he did get the ball, the Eastern Europeans had 8 men between him and the goal. Falkirk struggled to create chances and Gow arguably missed the best one. A great individual effort from Latapy salvaged a draw for the Irish and Hearts will no doubt feel hard done by.

Roy Keane was in the crowd so he's certainly serious about his interest in Stokes. Miserable night and a crowd of around 6,000.

watched the game last night ......... disappointing match, weather didn't help. The one thing i noticed about stokes and has been mentioned before is his temperament. On two occasions he kicked out at the opposition when beaten for the ball.This to me is a downside of his game and one that he will have to watch. Other than that i feel that he shouldn't stay too long with falkirk and if a better club moves for him then he should go as he has great potential which would be better developed at a higher club.

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Originally Posted by greendeiseboy

On two occasions he kicked out at the opposition when beaten for the ball.

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Well one of those incidents was where Nerijus Barasa was behind Stokes, who was in posession, and kept kicking at Stokes until he lost posession. Stokes reacted to this but the ref., who was looking right at the whole thing, left it go.

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Originally Posted by Peadar

Well one of those incidents was where Nerijus Barasa was behind Stokes, who was in posession, and kept kicking at Stokes until he lost posession. Stokes reacted to this but the ref., who was looking right at the whole thing, left it go.

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and that makes it ok

I only saw one of the incidents you're talking about. A Hearts defender used his strength to stop Stokes getting to the ball as it was going out of play. Stokes just hassled him and tried to get his foot in. I'd get very frustrated with a big defender just basically pushing me away from the ball.

i dont want to start a whole debate about the thing but its one side of his game he needs to curtail..... if he's going to play at the top we dont want him to be a rooney or smith type where he is earmarked before he even starts a game by both officials and players

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Originally Posted by greendeiseboy

i dont want to start a whole debate about the thing but its one side of his game he needs to curtail..... if he's going to play at the top we dont want him to be a rooney or smith type where he is earmarked before he even starts a game by both officials and players

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I would love him to be a rooney type player.

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Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

he is unbelievably talented . . . check out his personal website . . . www.anthonystokes.net

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Whoever did that site must have got the photographs mixed up. They posted one of Theo Walcott instead.

Stokes is English anyway.
http://football-rumours.com/player.php?p=42483


Or Chineese
http://arsenal.china.com/zh_cn/playe...onystokes.html

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Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

So how does this Stokes fella qualify for us then? Anyone know anything about him? Not sure I agree with English lads declaring for us. :D

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I am not aware of any "English lads" ever declaring for us. Unless you happen to be unaware of the Irish diaspora, and believe no Irish live outside our borders.

As for Stokes, do you consider Dublin too West British to qualify also?

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Originally Posted by Paddy Garcia

I am not aware of any "English lads" ever declaring for us. Unless you happen to be unaware of the Irish diaspora, and believe no Irish live outside our borders.

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We get some fairly idiotic comments on here but saying that to a guy who lives in Oxford, takes some beating! :D

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Originally Posted by Peadar

We get some fairly idiotic comments on here but saying that to a guy who lives in Oxford, takes some beating! :D

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Why? Do you think that everyone who lives in Oxford is imbued with the brains of the good & the great ?

Meanwhile I am struggling a little with the problem of "English lads" declaring for us - a) given Stokes is a Dubliner and b) defining 2g as English.

Frankly, don't think excuses can be made for those living in Oxford, or indeed in Dublin. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Paddy Garcia

Why? Do you think that everyone who lives in Oxford is imbued with the brains of the good & the great ?

Meanwhile I am struggling a little with the problem of "English lads" declaring for us - a) given Stokes is a Dubliner and b) defining 2g as English.

Frankly, don't think excuses can be made for those living in Oxford, or indeed in Dublin. :rolleyes:

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Tuff Paddy was being sarcastic in replying to tricky_colour's post. ;)

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Tuff Paddy was being sarcastic in replying to tricky_colour's post. ;)

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Yeah, got it :D

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Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

I wouldn't want Celtic to pay a couple of million for him now anyway. Football is littered with players who signed for clubs on the basis of a short good spell and then did feck all.

I have high hopes for Stokes but I'd want to see how he did for at least a season before he went anywhere. He's played less than 10 senior games remember.

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Spot on. Celtic wouldn't be a good move. Look at David Fernandez and Derek Riordan, Careers just stall there if your not getting your game. Also dont think he should hang around Scotland. He looks like he has way too much ability and potential to stay there long term. He's doing well because he's playing in a weak enough team and still managing to be clinical etc. Heard there's four or five Premiership teams lining up bids. Personally think somewhere like Villa would be a great move. They need strikers, Baros should be on his way out, Sutton is hardly in his prime and being managed by Martin O'Neill will get the best out of him. Keano is well up for bringing him to Sunderland apparently...Could be interesting maybe?

http://www.falkirkfc.co.uk/falkirk-n...s-academy.html

nice gesture from stokes.

was at the B international match the other night and noticed only himself and Stephen Hunt had the decency to stop and sign autographs for the young kids at the match. stokes was there 10 mins on his own and even had to be asked to taken away by the chief of security for the fai...

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Originally Posted by kingeric

http://www.falkirkfc.co.uk/falkirk-n...s-academy.html

nice gesture from stokes.

was at the B international match the other night and noticed only himself and Stephen Hunt had the decency to stop and sign autographs for the young kids at the match. stokes was there 10 mins on his own and even had to be asked to taken away by the chief of security for the fai...

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Didn't one of the players give his jersey to a young lad?

I'd like to see Stokes get a move to a decent Championship club preferrably not Sunderland though as he would be in competition with other Irish strikers for places.

It would be very interesting to see how many goals he'd score compared to his main competition for places in the Ireland squad (I'd list Elliot, Clarke, Lee and maybe Murphy in this bracket).

We have an abundance of goalscoring talent coming through the ranks at the moment moreso than I can ever remember before. I can see the likes of Keane, Doyle, Clarke, Dixon, Long, Stokes, Rooney, Keogh and Elliot (if he can get himself back to being fit and back in form) fighting for the 2 available forward positions in Ireland teams in the not too distant future.

Formation for 2008 .... 4-1-5

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Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

Er . . . that was a complete joke of a post by me, fishing for a bite and fair play to Paddy Garcia he swallowed it whole. Good man!
And as for "English lads" declaring for us . . . remind me how Paul Butler qualified for us again? Oh yeah, he MARRIED an Irish girl and was subsequently one of the biggest disgraces to ever get a green jersey.
I am all for Irish people of all birthplaces playing for Ireland but we really do need to realise that we have been used on numerous occasions by footballers wanting to further their careers.
There's one guy currently playing for us who couldn't actually tell me where his Irish grandparent was from and had never even been to Ireland before declaring for us. In fact, he would probably struggle to find Dublin on a map. (And people on here love the guy).
Rant over. And for the record, I've been aware of Stokes for more than three years now and know he's a Dub.

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I think your disgust is aimed at the wrong target.

It's getting boring now. ;) You see that Falkirk are winning and anyone other than Stokes scoring and it's a suprise. :)

Looking at the scorers charts in Scotland, it doesn't exactly look as though it's hard to score up there

Richie Foran - pen 45, pen 49
Surely people must be sitting up and taking notice at this stage?:)

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Originally Posted by Soper

Looking at the scorers charts in Scotland, it doesn't exactly look as though it's hard to score up there

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Well if you look at the amount of players that have hit 20 SPL goals over the years then you'll probably find it must be tough as they're all top players.

Stokes missed the first 5 games of the season yet is top scorer in the SPL and is still only 18.

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Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Surely people must be sitting up and taking notice at this stage?

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His 3rd goal of the season and 2 of them penos. :D

Would they be happier if he had gone on loan to somewhere like Finn Harps


Give the kid a chance, maybe with a lot of hard work one day in the future he
just may turn out for the mighty blues:)

He's doing everything he can at Falkirk. He has really seized his chance there. Strachan put it best when he said that Stokes had really gone there with something to prove. He won't be there next year. He'll move as I doubt he will go back to Arsenal either.

You have to hand it to him and he's banging in the goals no matter what league!

I have been reading the match reports and it sounds like another good goal for stoksey. It seems the sending of was very harsh aswell, second booking after been taking down in the box, booked for diving. Have to watch the Spl on setanta tomorrow.

Its great to see young irish talent doing well.