Stokes

[Stuart93]

For being our marquee signing...he's just not cutting it right now for me. Lennon said a few weeks ago we'd say a "different Anthony stokes", I've seen no change really.

[MWHIBBIES]

3 huns on him every time he got it. This stopped him from playing but allowed others space, they missed their chances.

[J-C]

Had the touch of an elephant tonight and seemed oblivious to the players around him when he got caught with the ball umpteen times, looks to be carrying a few pounds round the gut also.

[shetlandhibee]

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Had the touch of an elephant tonight and seemed oblivious to the players around him when he got caught with the ball umpteen times, looks to be carrying a few pounds round the gut also.

some touches were sublime like the one on left wing to st up barker near the end, touch was good most of the night but he couldent run with it and seemed to be slow at times and lost possesion more than usual IMO not fully fit

[NAE NOOKIE]

I don't know what the problem is .. but if anybody is seriously saying 3 goals from open play 18 games into our season is anything like acceptable from a player we moved heaven and earth to sign then they must be hell of an easy pleased. I have seen Hibs players with half the talent and a quarter of his experience get hammered on here in the past for an output like that.

Oli Shaw didn't do much tonight to show he is ready to be a starting striker, but I'm sure his time will come.

Simon Murray is a hard working not bad player, but it doesn't look like he is going to be anything like a 20 goals a season striker.

Mateluvicius is clearly heading out the door, Neil Lennon obviously doesn't rate him at all, which begs the question 'why the hell did he sign him?'.

We need to sign a striker in January .......... unfortunately the hardest and most expensive position to fill in any team.

[CMurdoch]

Clever player with a great touch but his fitness doesn't seem right which is why he is getting caught in possession far to often.

[Swedish hibee]

Don't know why you are so shocked, apart from the cup final where he rightly has legend status forever and ever- I wasn't too impressed with him..
Sure he is a good player, but as our main marquee signing, I wasn't sold. I do hope as the season goes on, he gets fitter & makes me completely eat my words. Nothing would make me happier!

[Unseen work]

The only reason he is in the team is because of his name.

If we signed a player from Alloa dishing out these performances fans would be slating him.

I was screaming last night to sub him for Fraser Murray - who I’m surprised at the lack of chances he has had this season especially considering last season/pre season

[calumhibee1]

Finding it harder and harder to justify his position in the team.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

Stokes is marmite, you either love him or hate him (hate being a bit strong in this context). I went to Sunday's game with a mate who's allegiances lie elsewhere but has a soft slot for us. He said that stokes seems to make himself look busy without really doing a lot.

[Borderhibbie76]

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I don't know what the problem is .. but if anybody is seriously saying 3 goals from open play 18 games into our season is anything like acceptable from a player we moved heaven and earth to sign then they must be hell of an easy pleased. I have seen Hibs players with half the talent and a quarter of his experience get hammered on here in the past for an output like that.

Oli Shaw didn't do much tonight to show he is ready to be a starting striker, but I'm sure his time will come.

Simon Murray is a hard working not bad player, but it doesn't look like he is going to be anything like a 20 goals a season striker.

Mateluvicius is clearly heading out the door, Neil Lennon obviously doesn't rate him at all, which begs the question 'why the hell did he sign him?'.

We need to sign a striker in January .......... unfortunately the hardest and most expensive position to fill in any team.

Excellent summary mate and bang on the money . Big Dave must be honking not to be getting a chance at present...I just don't get why we signed him. I've defended Stokes all season but gave up last night...bar the odd touch he was atrocious tbh. Murray has been awful for weeks too...we desperately need 1 or 2 strikers in Jan. A goal scoring midfielder wouldn't go amiss neither.

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[HibbySpurs]

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Stokes is marmite, you either love him or hate him (hate being a bit strong in this context). I went to Sunday's game with a mate who's allegiances lie elsewhere but has a soft slot for us. He said that stokes seems to make himself look busy without really doing a lot.

Not so much Marmite as I really want the guy to do brilliant things for us but at present he is living off the legacy of 1 glorious performance.

I've been saying it for weeks now he is a lazy barsteward and at times now is no better than an empty jersey. He was woeful last night. Also his rate of return this season is just horrific for our "star striker". Needs dropped.

Anyone in the FF or at the FF end of the East should watch when the squad are warming up pre-match, they do various shuttles with the coach.... Watch Stokes and you'll really see how lazy he is, it's obvious he doesn't give a **** about the exercises and does them so half hearted it's laughable, the thing is though (for me) it shows a total lack of respect to his team mates doing the exercises with him and the coach organizing it.

Currently (IMO) he is no more than a wage thief.

[J-C]

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some touches were sublime like the one on left wing to st up barker near the end, touch was good most of the night but he couldent run with it and seemed to be slow at times and lost possesion more than usual IMO not fully fit

Maybe touch of an elephant was a bit OTT, posted while still raging.

There has been many rumours re Stokes, his bevvying and the reason why he fell out with Lennon, there's a big thread from a couple of weeks ago about Stokes and why he was sent home from East Mains, a lot of speculation and rumours but after the last 3-4 showings from Stokes, maybe those rumours may in fact be true.

He's playing like a player who's hitting the bevvy, slow, unaware of what's around him and easily dispossessed. You have to question if he's looking so unfit, why? He's been here from the start of the season and at this stage should be fit as a fiddle, McGregor's been out injured and has came back looking like he's as fit as when he was before he went for his knee op.

Stokes was our big start of season signing, brought in to be the main man to either score and/or create goals, apart from a few rare glimpses he's done neither. He was emptied from Celtic and then Blackburn for his socialising and not being fit/good enough, it looks like he's still living the same way here.

[banarc7062]

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I don't know what the problem is .. but if anybody is seriously saying 3 goals from open play 18 games into our season is anything like acceptable from a player we moved heaven and earth to sign then they must be hell of an easy pleased. I have seen Hibs players with half the talent and a quarter of his experience get hammered on here in the past for an output like that.

Oli Shaw didn't do much tonight to show he is ready to be a starting striker, but I'm sure his time will come.

Simon Murray is a hard working not bad player, but it doesn't look like he is going to be anything like a 20 goals a season striker.

Mateluvicius is clearly heading out the door, Neil Lennon obviously doesn't rate him at all, which begs the question 'why the hell did he sign him?'.

We need to sign a striker in January .......... unfortunately the hardest and most expensive position to fill in any team.

I tend to agree that Stokes is not performing how I would have expected. Look at Murray's work rate and Stokes is nowhere near that. I think he sees himself as the big player and will not put in the same effort. I for one would not be disappointed to see him go any time soon.

[JimBHibees]

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Maybe touch of an elephant was a bit OTT, posted while still raging.

There has been many rumours re Stokes, his bevvying and the reason why he fell out with Lennon, there's a big thread from a couple of weeks ago about Stokes and why he was sent home from East Mains, a lot of speculation and rumours but after the last 3-4 showings from Stokes, maybe those rumours may in fact be true.

He's playing like a player who's hitting the bevvy, slow, unaware of what's around him and easily dispossessed. You have to question if he's looking so unfit, why? He's been here from the start of the season and at this stage should be fit as a fiddle, McGregor's been out injured and has came back looking like he's as fit as when he was before he went for his knee op.

Stokes was our big start of season signing, brought in to be the main man to either score and/or create goals, apart from a few rare glimpses he's done neither. He was emptied from Celtic and then Blackburn for his socialising and not being fit/good enough, it looks like he's still living the same way here.

Agree he does look that he is nowhere near match sharp and has been that way since the St Johnstone game after the international break. The game before v Dundee thought he was excellent and created the winning goal, very disappointing as last night showed how much we need him to be at it.

[LancsHibs]

Looks like I’m in a minority of 1 but I thought Stokes looked class last night, some of his hold up play and linking up with other players was excellent. Performed the role he was asked to do well and along with Barker/Boyle/McGinn/McGeough/Ambrose better than anything the Huns had to offer

[Hi Heid Yin]

Stokes is but one problem (failing to keep clean sheets the other) and, sadly, a major one at present in that he is not doing the business that we moved heaven and earth for -namely, score goals on a regular basis.
If it's the case that he has scored only 3 goals from open play this season then that is, frankly, disappointing to say the least.
I have always been a Stokes man and praised him time and again for his class and other aspects of his game such as his interlink-play, but now is the time to seriously question what he is currently bringing -and I stress, currently.
His lack of goals is a serious cause for concern as, apart from a recent fallout and being dropped for one game, Stokes seemingly walks straight into our starting line-up - irrespective of his goals ratio.
I have no doubt that Neil Lennon knows Stokes inside-out and is man-managing him as effectively as he is able to, but is allegiance to this particular player playing its not insignificant part in our team failing to deliver goals or results deserving of our general play?

[Stevie Reid]

My biggest concern with Stokes is with how many people on this board seem to be making out that he has been awful for us, when that's pretty far from the truth. He hasn't hit the heights that I was hoping he would, especially after such a good start with no preseason - but the appetite of many to constantly single him out is disappointing.

He's scored 9 goals in 17 appearances, and showed on Sunday the kind of magic that he can come up with when he's not scoring. He didn't have a good game last night, but he wasn't awful. Even if he had been, players have bad games. It's allowed.

FWIW, he's done better than Stevie May has at Aberdeen - their big marquee signing.

[Peevemor]

Stokes isn't playing as an out and out CF and spends a lot of time in the midfield area and drifting out to the left. He's very important to the team and his experience/savvy is invaluable. He doesn't get bullied and uses the ball well (his distribution is far better than SJM's for example), often opening things up for others.

He's playing very much the same role that Keith Wright played latterly for Hibs.

By comparison, Wright's return was

91/92 48 apps 17 goals
92/93 51 apps 14 goals
93/94 48 apps 19 goals
94/95 24 apps 11 goals
95/96 29 apps 9 goals
69/97 33 apps 6 goals

I can't remember Keith getting the same stick.

http://www.fitbastats.com/hibs/player.php?playerid=6341

[Northernhibee]

Truthfully, in 2017 I don't think he's anywhere near the standard we need. He's barely played the last two seasons other than a loan to us where he made himself a club hero with his one standout performance and when you take the green tinted specs off he doesn't have the mobility, attitude or goals to be effective anymore.

Sad, but I think he's a shadow of what he was. If you could see him working his arse off to improve I might feel more hopeful but I just don't think he justifies what he gets in return.

[Firestarter]

It's hard being the main striker when he's dropping deep to create and fetch the ball as there's very little getting to him.

[Northernhibee]

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It's hard being the main striker when he's dropping deep to create and fetch the ball as there's very little getting to him.

Has never seemed to be a problem for Murray. He gets in position, Barker or Boyle feed him, we look more effective as a result.

Murray is not as natural a striker but his attitude and workrate put him streets ahead on the pitch.

[renato]

I think Stokes’ biggest problem was (again) not having a proper pre season. It’s so critical for a pro and without it you’re often left playing catch up through the season. That was my biggest concern, as the summer “will he, won’t he” saga took an age to get him signed.

And that’s before you consider any off field or alleged attitude issues. The guy certainly looks a yard or two short or pace and he’s getting the ball mugged way too much for a guy with his ability and awareness.

[hibsbollah]

This thread is a bit harsh on Stokes. He wasn't shocking last night by any means, he did some good link up play, made a few mistakes and got mugged a few times by Holt, who was one of the few Rangers players who played well last night and was a total pest. He hasn't set the Heather on fire but the comment about missing the preseason is very valid. He looks like hes physically a bit behind the others.

[B.H.F.C]

Stokes has never played as a lone striker really but has done that a number of times for us, it's not his game. Last night he was more or less playing in midfield.

I think his situation sums us up a bit to be honest. IMO, we just can't get the balance right and there is too much chopping and changing.

Play Stokes up front and give him a bit of company and we'd see the best of him.

[Firestarter]

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Has never seemed to be a problem for Murray. He gets in position, Barker or Boyle feed him, we look more effective as a result.

Murray is not as natural a striker but his attitude and workrate put him streets ahead on the pitch.

Stokes is a smarter player than Murray who runs about and sometimes gets lucky. Stokes drops deep to create for others especially on the left when he opened up space for Barker brilliantly.

[BSEJVT]

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Looks like I’m in a minority of 1 but I thought Stokes looked class last night, some of his hold up play and linking up with other players was excellent. Performed the role he was asked to do well and along with Barker/Boyle/McGinn/McGeough/Ambrose better than anything the Huns had to offer

Not at all I agree with you.

I think far too many folk expect a superman performance like they got in the cup final each game.

The fact that he has been playing far deeper and is far less likely to score seems to totally escape folk.

Others then rabbit on about Murray's work rate v Stokes, ffs do they really understand football?

Anyone can run about like an idiot, regularly getting caught off side doing so it has to be said, but few have the ability, touch or vision to do something special

Like:

His ball to Stevenson for the equaliser on Sunday

His sublime touch to kill the ball coming out the air on the left touchline

The only other player on the park capable of doing that may be McGeouch, but even then I am not sure.

Stokes also works far far harder than I thought he would and covers masses of ground in the course of a game.

His goal return has been disappointing but as he is not at the tip of the spear, he hasn't had nearly as many chances as others.

Like Stevenson folk see what they want to see or jump on bandwagons.

Murray was rotten last night apart from setting up Stevenson's goal, but he doesn't get a fraction of the criticism Stokes does

[Smartie]

About 30 minutes in I was going to post sarcastically "Stokes looking disinterested as usual tonight" because he was anything but.

He was keen, eager, involved in everything, his touch was good and he was having a brilliant game when we were well on top.

It did go downhill for him and I'm not sure why. He struggled a bit when we changed our shape and fell out the game (even though some other players improved and as a team we were still well on top).

He wasn't that bad, but he wasn't great. He was just in and out of the game, and he made a few errors of judgment playing in his less familiar position as the game went on.

[Elephant Stone]

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Looks like I’m in a minority of 1 but I thought Stokes looked class last night, some of his hold up play and linking up with other players was excellent. Performed the role he was asked to do well and along with Barker/Boyle/McGinn/McGeough/Ambrose better than anything the Huns had to offer

So did I. He's been playing some passes that you'd expect to see from an experienced play-making midfielder.

[BarneyHibby]

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Looks like I’m in a minority of 1 but I thought Stokes looked class last night, some of his hold up play and linking up with other players was excellent. Performed the role he was asked to do well and along with Barker/Boyle/McGinn/McGeough/Ambrose better than anything the Huns had to offer

Absolutely agree with you. Stoksey was one of our best players yesterday in my opinion.