anthony stokes

Ah he's a quality player. From crumlin, at the moment he is playing in the reserve's so that says a lot considering how young he is. And when he plays in the reserve's he's normally man of the match, and he weighs in with a fair amount of goals.

But a note of warning, the last time an Irish Arsenal player was getting this many reviews, Graham Barrett, it didnt quite happen for him. In fairness to Graham, injuries cursed him badly in his last 2 years. First it was glandular fever and then I think he kept getting a few niggling injuries. I played with Graham and so knew that he was something special, but i thought he would end up playing full time in the Premiership, not plying his trade for Livingston in Scotland. But thats just the way it happens, and so I hope Stokes is not built up to be something which he finds it hard to cope with. But if it is a question of talent then he will surely break into the Arsenal team maybe not this year, but probaly next.

In fairness Barrett, was the captain of the youth team that thrashed West Ham in the FA Cup Final, think it was 6-1 on aggregate over two legs. So I think people thought Barrett was going to be the real deal, and even Brady thought he would make it at Arsenal until a few untimely injuries.
But your right Stokes was playing at 15 and scoring goals in the reserves which apart from Cesc, is unheard of at Arsenal.

j22 wrote:

Stokes is 17

I think we've already established that.

I was listening to a UK radio station last week and they said he was English!!! Typical!!

Trilla wrote:

its flippin deadly, so it is!

http://www.arsenal.com/player.asp?thisNav=first+team&plid=60109&clid=4421&cpid=703

Not as good as 3 hatricks in 2 games thou. Is it. Is it?
He could do better in fairness. Maybe he should put more effort in?

I think a permanent transfer away from Arsenal at this stage in his career would be a backward one. He's getting his experience out on loan and let's face it, Arsenal are horrendous in front of goal at the moment.

He'd be best off giving it at least one full season with Arsenal next year and if nothing comes out of it then maybe move on.

There's no point in discussing Stokes going to Celtic. It's not going to happen, not any time soon anyway. Arsenal will not sell, simple as. They don't send young players out on loan to put them in the shop window. If they don't cut it at Arsenal they get moved on eventually, but Stokes is having the best loan spell so far of any of the Arsenal youngsters loaned out over the past few years.

~Rebel~ wrote:

The problem is that Lupoli and Bendtner are both having fantastic loan spells as well so will be hard for them all to get a fair chance when they return to arsenal.

Well it'll come down to whomever takes his chance the best, when and if he gets it.