Anthony Stokes (F free agent b.1988)

**tetsujin1979** · 30/08/2006, 9:26 AM

Sunderland didn't take him on loan because they couldn't guarantee him first team football, Falkirk have so that's why he's gone there.
To dismiss him before he's kicked a ball in anger for the senior team is ridiculous, let's at least see how this loan spell goes.

**Clive the Bairn** · 30/08/2006, 10:27 AM

I am a Falkirk fan and if Stokes is any good at all he will be a first team regular.
We have no recognised fit striker (Gow and Moutinho have not hit the net in the league yet and both are better suited playing behind the strikers). Graham Barrett signed but is still recovering from injury and hasn't even been able to get a reserve game.

I read that Wenger is trying to make him into a winger but he will definetely be played up front for Falkirk.

What type of player are Falkirk getting. Pacey, strong, tricky, target man etc.

Btw Patrick Cregg is doing quite well at Falkirk and will eventually move on to a bigger club.

**Stuttgart88** · 30/08/2006, 11:53 AM

Good to hear about Cregg. eirebhoy here said that one Celtic board had a rumour that they were looking at him.

Your assessment of Stokes sounds right.

From FAI website:

Anthony Stokes (Arsenal) - Born: 25th July 1988.
Previous club: Shelbourne.
A wonderful leader who shows calmness and excellent technique under pressure. Adept at bringing his colleagues into the game. Plays for Arsenal’s reserves on the right-wing and although he would prefer centre-forward, Arsene Wenger apparently looks upon him as the natural successor to Freddie Ljungberg. Represented Ireland’s Under-21’s at the Madeira Cup triumph in February 2006.

I think it's well known that he sees himself as a forward though.

**Donal81** · 30/08/2006, 1:46 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

If Stokes can only get a loan move to Falkirk then even at this early stage of his career I think he's going to turn out to be another Graham Barrett. If he chose a move to Falkirk over a Championship side (which I seriously doubt considering one of those mentioned, Sunderland, turned down an option to loan him) then he needs to look at himself and the people around him advising him.

After a bright start for Arsenal he faded a lot last year anyway so I don't see him being good enough to be much of an asset to Ireland.

Jesus he's 18! Very few players make it that young, give him a break. He's hardly in Richie Partridge country, is he?

He's at one of the best clubs in Europe (Arsenal, not Falkirk...) and they haven't let him go, which they could do whenever they wanted.

**Peadar** · 30/08/2006, 1:57 PM

Falkirk have a good relationship with Arsenal and I think this will be a good move for Stokes. Arsenal wouldn't let him go unless he was going to get first team football. They refused to let him go to Sunderland and sit on the bench. He's only there until the transfer window, initially. I've seen him play for Arsenal a few times, most recently at the Bergkamp testimonial and he's definitely got talent.

He is in a list of players who Arsenal have sent out on loan this season, which includes, Larsson, Bendtner, Muamba (all at Birmingham), Lupoli (at Derby), Mannone (Barnsley) and Gilbert (at Cardiff).

Wenger sees these guys as the future of Arsenal and wants them to develop with first team experience.

Falkirk are getting a very fine player.
Look after him!

**eirebhoy** · 30/08/2006, 3:19 PM

Yeah, I can't believe people are writing him off already. It's only the SPL but it's just as big a loan move as the really highly rated Lupoli made. Wenger has taken Kilmarnock striker Naismith on trial so he does at least rate the SPL somewhat. If Stokes impresses at Falkirk Wenger will take note.

Clive the Bairn - Stick around and keep us updated!

**drinkfeckarse** · 30/08/2006, 3:20 PM

Originally Posted by Peadar

They refused to let him go to Sunderland and sit on the bench.

Thought Quinn refused him because he didn't think he would dislodge any of his current forwards therefore mightn't get a lot of games??

**youngirish** · 30/08/2006, 3:28 PM

Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

Thought Quinn refused him because he didn't think he would dislodge any of his current forwards therefore mightn't get a lot of games??

True. He wasn't good enough to dislodge Daryl Murphy, Chris Brown or John Stead while Bendter and Lupoli who are similar ages are banging goals in for fun at Birmingham and Derby.

He hasn't a chance at making it at Arsenal IMO. I've followed him and he had a poor season last year after a very promising initial season.

He's still only young but so are the others mentioned and they seem to be developing at a better pace than Stokes.

**Stuttgart88** · 30/08/2006, 3:29 PM

Just because freaks like Rooney are sensational teenagers doesn't mean that that's the common benchmark now.

Stokes has years on his side yet. As the Grolsch ads say "why hurry?"

Has anyone here written off Stephen Elliott or Daryl Murphy because they'e 23, 5 yrs older than Stokes?

**eirebhoy** · 30/08/2006, 3:52 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

True. He wasn't good enough to dislodge Daryl Murphy, Chris Brown or John Stead while Bendter and Lupoli who are similar ages are banging goals in for fun at Birmingham and Derby.

Lupoli is a year older than Stokes. He scored 2 against arguably the worst team in the league. Let's see how Stokes does at Falkirk. In fact, Stokes is younger than anyone at his level at Arsenal.

**Peadar** · 30/08/2006, 4:04 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

He hasn't a chance at making it at Arsenal IMO. I've followed him and he had a poor season last year after a very promising initial season.

He wasn't happy playing on the right.
It seemed that Wenger was trying to turn him into a winger to provide cover for Ljungberg/Hleb. Stokes had his dad telling him that he should be playing up front.

The plan seems to be to play him up front at Falkirk.
A lot of competition for that place at Arsenal. He'd be better off listening to Wenger. The last thing he needs is to turn into another Reyes.

**Clive the Bairn** · 20/09/2006, 9:20 PM

Scored his first goal for the Bairns on Tuesday in the league cup. Playing as a striker in a team lacking confidence at present.

Our biggest goal threat at the moment and an exciting prospect. Heres the goal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6qoE1hhT7E

**FootballsKing** · 20/09/2006, 9:42 PM

lets just hope he doesnt have to play with you up there for too long !

**cheifo** · 20/09/2006, 10:15 PM

Thanks Clive, good luck to the Bairns in the next round.How is Cregg playing btw?

**Clive the Bairn** · 21/09/2006, 8:43 AM

Originally Posted by cheifo

Thanks Clive, good luck to the Bairns in the next round.How is Cregg playing btw?

Cregg is usually one of our better players on the pitch. He has had to slightly curb his aggressiveness on the pitch as he would just have been suspended more often than not. He has therefore lost a little bit due to this but he couldn't carry on the way he was.

Still only 20 years old and a great future ahead of him. Unforunately it won't be that long till he's away. Our manager thinks that Ireland u-21s must be some team if Cregg can't get in the squad.

At least hes contracted till June 2008.

**tetsujin1979** · 21/09/2006, 9:10 AM

Any truth in the rumours that Celtic are interested in Cregg?

**eirebhoy** · 21/09/2006, 9:24 AM

Originally Posted by Clive the Bairn

Still only 20 years old and a great future ahead of him. Unforunately it won't be that long till he's away. Our manager thinks that Ireland u-21s must be some team if Cregg can't get in the squad.

I think if Cregg was playing for, say, Motherwell he'd be getting a bit more credit even though they're bottom of the league and weren't much better than Falkirk last season. When the average Irish person hears Falkirk they don't give the player a chance.

Obviously the same goes for St.Mirren and even still Inverness. Just as an example, we had someone say on this forum yesterday that even they'd get a game for Falkirk. I doubt they'd have said the same about Motherwell.

**youngirish** · 21/09/2006, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I think if Cregg was playing for, say, Motherwell he'd be getting a bit more credit even though they're bottom of the league and weren't much better than Falkirk last season. When the average Irish person hears Falkirk they don't give the player a chance.

Obviously the same goes for St.Mirren and even still Inverness. Just as an example, we had someone say on this forum yesterday that even they'd get a game for Falkirk. I doubt they'd have said the same about Motherwell.

That was me but I think that's a very unfair comment to be honest and a slur to my good reputation. I don't treat Falkirk with any less respect than Motherwell, Hibernian or Aberdeen - I think they are all pure sh**e. Look at Hearts in the Champions League qualifiers for example. They were beaten 5-1 by those powers of World football AEK Athens.

Any player worth his salt should not be wasting his time in Scotland and that includes for Rangers or Celtic though I would treat them with far more respect than the rest. The English Championship is far superior as a whole to the SPL. Some Scottish teams would even struggle to survive in League 1.

Look at Richie Foran last night. Consistently he's been one of Motherwell's best players over the last 2 or 3 seasons yet he was a failure at Carlisle in League 2. Says it all.

**eirebhoy** · 21/09/2006, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by youngirish

Look at Richie Foran last night.

Queens park are 3rd from bottom in Division 3 so a hattrick against them doesn't mean very much.

Foran has scored 16 league goals since he joined Motherwell almost 3 years ago. Most Scottish football fans wouldn't even know him other than hearing his name once or twice. He's an average Motherwell player and Motherwell are bottom of the SPL, certainly not one of their best players.

Of course the SPL is a poor league but it's a league that is relatively easy to spot a good player that will make it at a higher level (I find that anyway).

**Stuttgart88** · 21/09/2006, 12:24 PM

I can't believe this is getting such a reaction. The guy seems to have started his senior career well. He has miles to go yet but so far the early signs are encouraging. He scored a good goal against a team that Celtic always struggle against. He's had a great technical education at Arsenal. Liam Brady speaks highly of him. So far that's all good enough for me to be cautiously optimistic this guy could be an international for us within 5 yrs. He's only 18 FFS! As I said above, people's expectations are distorted these days because of freaks like Rooney that develop so eraly.