Last-minute winner for Celtic today from a free kick, and immediately booked for celebrating too much.
Last edited by Charlie Darwin; 31/08/2013 at 1:52 PM.
As Liam Brady more or less summed up the other night, bags of talent, not enough hard graft and right attitude. Maybe with a little maturity, he may fulfill potential this season. Given recent departures, he has a chance to establish himself as the 'main man' at Celtic.
Continued his good start to the season with a decent performance against Hearts at the weekend. Hopefully he can feature against Milan tomorrow night, though I'm not sure he'll start.
The 5 minute highlights show glimpses of what he can do with regards to creating, scoring and even taking a decent corner (something we can't seem to do at the moment!). Nicely taken goal (around 2:50) his fourth of the season and a lovely assist for the third goal (around 4:00).
No doubt he will feature in a squad soon enough once the new manager is in place and hopefully he can take it from there and let his football do the talking.
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
He's actually probably the only decent finisher we have besides Robbie. Long is great and all, but he's not exactly prolific. More of a Kevin Doyle type player with more pace.
Stokes starts up front for Celtic against AC Milan in the San Siro.
playing well
Folding my way into the big money!!!
He's just after hitting the cross-bar with a free-kick. Good effort. Still 0-0 going into the last ten minutes.
Edit: Ouch! Milan score with a wickedly deflected shot that was otherwise going wide.
Last edited by DannyInvincible; 18/09/2013 at 8:23 PM.
Celtic so unlucky.
No reason why Celtic can't win at home though.
I thought Stokes did okay last night, not brilliant but more than decent. The service in to him wasnt great to be honest but you could see plenty of moments of a good first touch, good vision with flick ons to team mates etc. Whilst Samaras was supporting him from wide and Commons from in the hole - He was kind of up top on his own - a position which isnt best suited to his attributes. It will be tricky for him to nail down that starting spot, certainly for away european fixtures but tonights overall good team performance of which Stokes played an important role will do his chances no harm whatsoever.
At 0-0 he capitalised on a mistake from the Milan defence and left the Milan FB on his ar$e by going outside then cutting back in, looked like he skewed the disappointing shot wide but a defender actually managed to block it and Celtic won the corner kick.
Again at 0-0, after a few disappointing freekicks from team mates, Stokes stepped up to take one and curled it over the wall and hit the junction of crossbar and post with the keeper well beaten - agonisingly close.
He hasnt had many opportunities to play against this quality of opposition and whilst Milan were certainly no great shakes on the night (Celtic should have at least got a point, possibly all 3) he more than held his own.
Hopefully he continues his good form in the SPFL and gets his chance at home against Barcelona in a couple of weeks - Though based on Celtic winning last time around, Barca will be gunning for revenge coupled with their thumping of Ajax 4-0 last night, I fear it could be a 'feeding off the scraps' type of night for whoever plays up front.
Lets get him in an Ireland squad whilst his confidence is high and the games left are dead rubber.
Last edited by Junior; 19/09/2013 at 9:05 AM.
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
Would have been a totally different game if his free kick had gone in, then there was the deflection.
Must be disheartening to end up losing 2:0 when with a bit of luck they could of won 1:0.
Maybe they can get some justice in the return leg, but the face Barcelona next which is going to be tough, but not impossible!
As a ten year old, Ruud Gullit for me was the most fearsome sight with those dreadlocks and mostashe - I thought he was a lion!!! Anyways an older and not nearly as impressive dreadlockless Ruud is not so impressed with Celtic strikers....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24215615
No treble for Celtic anyway this season. Lost 1-0 aet to Morton at Celtic Park. Stokes came on after 65 minutes.
Starts against barcelona tonight
They seemed to be doing OK even down to 10 men. Stokes off on 70 mins and Barca socre 9 minutes later.
Celtic had been going forward and had a chance them selves, but that got hit by barca after that, maybe it
was barca's plan to lure them out to hit them on the break.
Tough game for him living off scraps.
Forget about Samaras passing to you
He was kind of on his own up front.
Celtic had a couple of chances in 2nd half but that gob$hite Scott Brown kicked a Barca player when there was absolutely no need and got a straight red
Folding my way into the big money!!!
I was up at the game.
Stokes put in a really hard shift but was basically chasing shadows. I've not seen the stats but I'd imagine Barca had 70%-75% possession whilst Stokesy was on the pitch. He was dropping in to midfield (so it was more of a 4-5-1 than a 4-4-2) and doing a lot of harrying and closing down but getting very little time on the ball. Its a fairly soul destroying task at the best of times but Stokes is not a midfielder and his qualities are further up the field on the ball. Perhaps having Kayal or someone on from the start might have been better (not for Stokes obviously). Having said that Lennons gameplan overall was working but for the silly kick out by Brown (as soft as it was). To keep up that level of workrate for a whole 90 minutes was going to be hard with 11, almost impossible with 10.
Samaras was a better outlet for Celtic, he has pace to burn (Stokesy doesnt really) and can hold up play with his head/chest really well (again not so much an attribute of our guy). Pity he can be blinkered/selfish on occasion as there were a couple of opportunities to play Stokes in, if only he had lifted his head.
Still, Its another CL start for young Anthony. The double header versus Ajax over the coming 5 weeks are critical to whether Celtic finish bottom of the pile or can try and get in to place for a Europa spot and European football after Christmas which would be great news for Celtic and Stokesy of course!
Pikku came on for the last 5 or 10 minutes a showed a couple of glimpses of decent play - Its imperative Stokes keeps up his domestic form and nets a few between now and then otherwise he may drop down to the bench.
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
Originally Posted by Junior
samaras is easily one of the worst players i have ever seen. ok he can hold a ball up but hes 7ft tall so its easy for him. every time i see him i get annoyed that someone is actually paying him to be a footballer. brutal player. And as for having pace to burn?????? sorry are we actually talking about the same player
Samaras has frustrated me in the past (still does actually) but you would have to have been living on another planet if you couldn't appreciate his performances for Celtic over recent seasons, particularly in Europe. He was outstanding last night. An Outlet, holding up play, back on the edge of his own box making challenges and winning back possession, lifting the crowd, taking on the captains responsibilities when down to 10 men. I have been his biggest critic in the past but he has certainly stepped up to the plate. I remember stutts posting a few years ago that 'he could see a player in there somewhere' but I just scoffed - I really thought he was a headless chicken. I am big enough to accept I was wrong....Duggie, I think its your turn to hit the confessional box......
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
he makes dirk kuyt look like messi, thats how bad he is.
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