Stokes for the McCluskey role

846

Anthony Stokes is in the best form of his Celtic career at the moment, arguably the best form of his life if you overlook his stunning cameo at Falkirk.  It’s hard to know if this is related to no longer being in the shadow of a more favoured son, or if Anthony has just got his ‘stuff’ together, but his intervention was absolutely crucial in our only Champions League win so far.  He had all the wisdom necessary to bate an opponent into a clumsy foul.

The psychology of a three year contract, worth more money, before performance bonuses, than the player will be able to spend is not always a good thing for a footballer, but the competition for a starting berth up front for Celtic is acute.  On the back of his winning goal on Sunday Amido Balde has been talking about his ambitions to secure a regular place, Teemu Pukki is guaranteed nothing while Georgios Samaras has been used regularly as a striker.  Anthony will remain under pressure to perform.

All of this competition will come into sharp focus in Amsterdam next week.  Celtic will come under pressure for most of the game, but this is something they are comfortable with.  We will need someone to exploit the openings Ajax will leave in their defence.  Put your money on Anthony for the George McCluskey role.
[calameo code=000390171853d2bfc4f69 lang=en page=40 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

846 Comments

  1. shoulder2shoulder on

    GREENYINFURAFENIAN

     

    Didn’t actually “air my views” only that i wouldn’t write false sentiment for a man I detested…did also open my post with “MND is something I would wish on no man”….so where exactly do u censors say I’ve gone wring there ?!?!

     

     

    UTLR

  2. greenyinfurrafenian on

    here was me thinking that by writing you detest the man and you wouldn’t post false sentiment you were “airing your view”

     

    you didn’t respond as to what prompted you to write it in the first place.

     

     

    but thats ok you don’t mind being the bad guy

  3. shoulder2shoulder on

    Jonny the Tim

     

    Thank you mo chara,the respect is mutual,i assure you!

     

    Greenyin

     

    Sentiment seems to b expected and wot I was saying was that basically if u did that,it would be false ! And that is something im not…I assure u,I was only referring to myself,although I concede my wording could have been better!

     

     

    UTLR

  4. Hey Sandman,

     

     

    I’m watching the game too…and lovin’ it :) Would love to be at Fenway tonight, the place is electric!

     

     

    Hail Hail

  5. shoulder2shoulder on

    GREENYIN

     

    Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit !!

     

    Haven’t u ever been told that !???

     

    My feelings prompted me….I really would like to know what you have a problem with here …or u just looking for an argument too ?!

     

     

    UTLR

  6. JimmyQuinnsBits on

    I spent too much time away from my kids, working away from home during the week for too many years.

     

     

    I love the wildness of weans though, at their youngest they don’t have any rules and rightly resent their imposition. They also see magic in the most trivial of things, a beauty in the smallest drop. This is a song, and I wrote it after watching my five year-old son on a beach in Lanzarote. It’s a bit twee, and it ain’t no Lou Reed.

     

     

    Lookin back I’d have been better earnin less, and spendin more time at home

     

     

    Sandcastles

     

     

    Let me show you what I’ve made

     

    Let me take you by the hand

     

    Let us look real close and wonder

     

    At this thing of water and sand

     

     

    Let me teach you how to see

     

    What you miss when you grow old

     

    How the water in your hands

     

    Turns to silver and to gold

     

     

    You live in smothering boundaries

     

    There are no roads I know

     

    I walk wherever takes my eye

     

    For freedom is to go

     

     

    Let me show you how to live

     

    With no fear of what will be

     

    With no colour, race, or creed

     

    Come and see what I can see

  7. JimmyQuinnsBits on

    Should’ve said, it’s from the childs perspective, what they’d say to us I’d guess

  8. dublinbhoy – there will be some amount of partyin over the next few days if the Sox hold on and win it. Atmosphere at Fenway closest to a footy crowd of all ballparks. Sounds brilliant there tonight, especially when they boom out ‘3 Little birds’.

  9. shoulder2shoulder on

    GREENYIN

     

    Apologies….thats exactly what happened,and I echo ur sentiment mo chara!

     

     

    UTLR

  10. JimmyQuinnsBits on

    S2S,

     

     

    I have ,and lovely it is ;)

     

     

    but the chanter is a broken thing, and cannot croak a tune

     

    a shadow of it’s former self and, some might say, a loon

     

    it whispers to the darkness, and struggles from the bed

     

    and everybody mumbles, the ould bugger should be dead

     

     

    HH

  11. Jimmyquinnsbits, that. Is. Good.

     

     

    Sweet catch of the wee one’s innocent worldview. My five year old produced a gem this year when after seeing some old newsreel footage on tv and some of her granny’s puctures of her youth she asked me, “Daddy, when did the world turn into colour?’

     

     

    Nothing like a child’s perspective.

  12. WORLD SERIES UPDATE

     

    Possibly, probably the last update.

     

    Game 6 in Boston and the Red Sox, barring a collapse, looked to have secured the series

     

    They lead the Cardinals 6-0 in the bottom of the 6th innings.

     

    Kids in Boston breathing a huge sigh of relief as they will be able to go out to trick and treat.

     

    Talking of tricking and treating it’s common for people who don’t hand out candies to have their houses and gardens adorned with toilet rolls.

     

    I think I might leave the lights out tomorrow night as I have run out of Andrex,

     

    the leaves are all dried up and

     

    I’m down to using the pine cones.

     

     

    Dons jacket and leaves.

  13. JimmyQuinnsBits on

    Sandman,

     

     

    smashin, my daughter couldn’t get the concept of money – “but… what’s it for?” she’d ask. I would just stare, speechless at the inadvertent wisdom.

     

     

    She only recognised receiving and giving of stuff that was useful to her.

     

     

    Different now she’s older mind you ;)

  14. Whew. Sox escape a bases-loaded jam. Thru 7 innings, 6-1 up.

     

     

    Wad feeling the tension there, like the Hoops clingibg to a CL lead.

  15. Sandman

     

    02:44 on

     

    31 October, 2013

     

    Whew. Sox escape a bases-loaded jam. Thru 7 innings, 6-1 up.

     

     

    Wad feeling the tension there, like the Hoops clingibg to a CL lead.

     

     

    It’s not often we can get to cling on to a 5 goal lead.

  16. JimmyQuinnsBits on

    One more and I’m off. There’s a parallel in this one, not hard to seek.

     

     

    Celtic isn’t a football club, or a PLC, or shareholders, or directors, or “customers”. I was born with this. It’s a part of me, and I couldn’t deny it even if I wanted to.This isn’t logical, I shouldn’t care so much about an institution, but there’s an army of family behind me, dead and gone, which this represents. When they were most despised, they had this citadel.

     

     

    By Maya Angelo

     

    You may write me down in history

     

    With your bitter, twisted lies,

     

    You may trod me in the very dirt

     

    But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

     

     

    Does my sassiness upset you?

     

    Why are you beset with gloom?

     

    ‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells

     

    Pumping in my living room.

     

     

    Just like moons and like suns,

     

    With the certainty of tides,

     

    Just like hopes springing high,

     

    Still I’ll rise.

     

     

    Did you want to see me broken?

     

    Bowed head and lowered eyes?

     

    Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

     

    Weakened by my soulful cries.

     

     

    Does my haughtiness offend you?

     

    Don’t you take it awful hard

     

    ‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines

     

    Diggin’ in my own back yard.

     

     

    You may shoot me with your words,

     

    You may cut me with your eyes,

     

    You may kill me with your hatefulness,

     

    But still, like air, I’ll rise.

     

     

    Does my sexiness upset you?

     

    Does it come as a surprise

     

    That I dance like I’ve got diamonds

     

    At the meeting of my thighs?

     

     

    Out of the huts of history’s shame

     

    I rise

     

    Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

     

    I rise

     

    I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,

     

    Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

     

    Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

     

    I rise

     

    Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear

     

    I rise

     

    Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

     

    I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

     

    I rise

     

    I rise

     

    I rise.

     

     

    Night All

     

     

    HH

     

     

    JQB

  17. gg, lulz. Very good. Cards were one swing away from a grand slam.

     

     

    Felt like I did after Messi scored in injury time last year.

  18. Sox nearly there. One more innings. 3 outs from the World Series. Crowds gathering around stadium, street parties ready to launch. Boston looks the place to be tonight. And tomorrow. And probably the weekend…

  19. Lol, interview with old fella in the Fenway Park crowd – 88 years old, Redsox season ticket holder for 65 years. Beat that, Grey Brigade. ;)

  20. Ace closer Koji Uehara comes in to pitch the final innings and win it.

     

     

    The Redsox’s Nakamura…

  21. WORLD SERIES FINAL RESULT

     

    and update

     

    RED SOX beat the Cardinals 6-1 to win the series 4-2

     

    Let the party begin

  22. Sox win it…first time in 85 years they have won the World Series at Fenway.

     

     

    So happy for Boston…let the party begin!

     

     

    Hail Hail

  23. Brilliant the Redsox! From last to first in a season. Outstanding consistency and team spirit. 173 games. Moneyball!!!

     

     

    Won it for the bomb victims Boston Strong! God bless ’em Sox.

  24. The cop – hilarious. Highlighted him celebrating twice at home runs and there was a giant placard of his face held up in the crowd. He’s become a Boston celebrity and lucky charm.