QuoteAs long as it wasn't the same virus that Shane Long had against Cyprus.
According to the previews of the game, Stokes was omitted from the squad because of a virus
From http://www.football365.com/story/0,1...299600,00.html
while Anthony Stokes has not trained all week because of a virus.
As long as it wasn't the same virus that Shane Long had against Cyprus.
Stokes, Miller and Harte alldue to play for the reserves tonight VS Everton: http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=14456
Also Billy Dennehy will be playing for Sunderland, against his brother Darren who plays for EvertonA virus kept the Irishman out of last weekend's Premier League game against Chelsea.
I don't know if this article has been posted before, but it talks a lot about Stokes transfer deal in January 2007. Turns out he went to Sunderland for the cash....
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...et-431342.html
From Arsenal unknown to Keane's golden shot, Anthony Stokes has world at his feet
An 18-year-old's scoring spree led to Sunderland pipping boyhood idols Celtic for his signature.
By Nick Harris
Tuesday, 9 January 2007
The honour of being the leading marksman in Scotand's top division since 1998 has been shared among only four players: the incomparable Henrik Larsson (five times), Mark Viduka, John Hartson and Kris Boyd, whose 32 league goals for Kilmarnock and Rangers last season came in at a ratio of 0.88 goals per game.
Anthony Stokes is still 18, but in 16 league games on loan at Falkirk from Arsenal before Christmas, he scored 14 SPL goals * at a ratio of 0.875 a game * and two more in two CIS Cup games. He remains the SPL's top scorer this season, and had he stayed he might have held on to the mantle.
Plenty of higher-profile forwards have struggled to hit such heights north of the border, let alone in their teens.
The spree that rocketed Stokes to stardom * and now Sunderland * had Falkirk's manager, John "Yogi" Hughes, struggling for superlatives.
"The best Christmas present I could have," he added, of the now forlorn hope that Stokes' loan spell would stretch in 2007.
Stokes scored his first senior goal on 19 September in the CIS Cup at Inverness, but it was what happened between 14 October and 7 November that has changed his life: one goal in the league against St Mirren, then two at Inverness, hat-tricks against Dundee United and Dunfermline (the first back-to-back hat-tricks in the SPL) and then a goal against Celtic in the CIS Cup quarter-finals. Falkirk won on penalties.
Stokes scored in consecutive games in late November (also getting sent off against Motherwell for diving), and then, in his last match, after four blanks, hit a third hat-trick, against Inverness on 30 December.
He is hugely promising, blessed with pace, versatility (he can play up front or in midfield) and clinical finishing with both feet. He can also showboat, for better or worse. Against St Mirren in October, Falkirk won a last-minute close-range free-kick with the score at 1-1. Everyone in the ground expected Stokes to blast it but he attempted an extraordinary chip, which went just past the top corner. "The guy is a maverick, that's just his style of playing," Hughes said. "If it had come off it would have grabbed all the headlines and that's the kind of thing he tries in training." Against Dunfermline, he scored his hat-trick with his "weaker" left foot. He also wound up the opposition by playing keepy-uppy during the match. Up to 10 times. Hughes, in a training exercise, clattered Stokes for his exuberance.
If there are other reservations, then they come in analysis of who Stokes has scored against. Apart from Celtic (in the CIS Cup), all his goals in Scotland came against the current bottom six.
So while prolific with Falkirk, it is premature to say that he comes with a guarantee at the highest level. Evidently Arsène Wenger, albeit with a rich crop of experienced forwards, does not see him as a Premiership regular in the near future. Why, otherwise, would he let him leave after three years of development?
For Roy Keane, the question is academic. "We've beaten off competition from a number of high-profile clubs for someone who is a good, young player who can hopefully help us in our push for promotion," he said yesterday. Sunderland are three points off the play-off places.
It is believed Stokes will earn a basic wage of £14,000-plus a week. Money is relevant because the evidence suggests it was that, more than any other factor, that dictated where Stokes went.
"Anthony didn't sleep the night after learning that Celtic had an offer accepted [last week]. We thought it was a done deal," the player's father and advisor, John, said on Sunday. "He loves Celtic and was prepared to accept less money to play for them. When he gets up in the morning he listens to Celtic songs and by the time he goes to bed at night he's watched Celtic videos." Yet there was only so much less money he was willing to accept. It is understood Celtic offered a deal worth " only" £8,000 a week. So Celtic lost out, as did Charlton, whom Stokes had decided to join (on £14,000 a week) before Keane, his hero, made a last-minute intervention.
Stokes joined Arsenal at 15 from Shelbourne but never started a game for the Gunners in any competition. Last summer, he trained with Sunderland, then still managed by Niall Quinn, but Quinn opted against a loan move. Instead, Arsenal's head of youth development, Liam Brady, sent the player to Falkirk and into the care of his friend Hughes.
In November, Stokes said: "I'm an Arsenal player so my main aspiration is to get into the first team." Keane and Sunderland will be hoping they reap the benefits of Stokes' various dreams * at Celtic, Arsenal and elsewhere * not coming to fruition.
I'd have gone for the cash too, that's quite a big wage difference there.
Who knows when an injury could happen?
It's not as if he decided to take more cash to sit on a bench somewhere, I really don't see the relevance of posting this right now.
Every time there's a hint of anything going wrong for Stokes there's an element here looking to have a go at him.
"He wasn't in the squad, he must have been drinking the night before."
Then we find out he has a virus.
Give it a break lads.
The forgotton man Stokes scored twice in the last couple of minutes last night to rescue Sunderland from defeat by Northampton. Also nice to see that one of the goals was scored from a cross by Andy R.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Even better
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
2nd one was a crackin header aswel.
Colin Larkin scored in this game also
Always look on the bright side of life
So what's the deal with this guy, then? We all had such high hopes. Is this Palace loan move a turning point or the last chance saloon. Can't help thinking he was the kid with the holes in his jeans Keane was referring to in his recent interview.
Forgot he was even alive for the last few months.
Wasnt he also at sheffield united for a while?
i recall hearing that he moved. dont recall reports of him playing or scoring though.
He played 12 games for Sheffield Utd but in midfield.
Came on after an hour for Palace last night in place of Scannell so again probably won't be playing in his preferred striker role for them.
Even when he played for Ireland in America he was playing as the support striker for Long. Why oh why don't teams just play him in the role he was succesful with for Falkirk?
Stokes playing up front today with Kuqi and he's scored. Scannell on the bench.
Apparently a quick pull back left the mercurial king of defenders* Sean St Ledger for dead before firing home with a great goal.
*As per one Preston fan.
Palace boss Neil Warnock on Stokes:
"Sometimes players can lose their way but Anthony knows that everybody can't be wrong.
"He's looked in the mirror and he hasn't had many takers in terms of clubs coming in for him.
"It's great for us to be able to take him, at a realistic price as well, and he's shown what he can do."
Stokes happier with central striking role: http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/tn...central%20role
Has he signed permanently for Palace or was Warnock just talking about the loan arrangements.Originally Posted by co. down green
So 2 years since he left Falkirk and we can finally start judging his goalscoring ability outside of the SPL. Hopefully it's not 2 years wasted where he could have been improving his positioning and movement in his proper position.
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