OK - it was sarcasm - I only thank Gretna that he isnt carrying us into 2008 without a coffin draped in a Romanian flag. Bring on the Window and some guts frombehind the scene.  :clapping03:

Does he was our best player today mean anything?

Immature Middle-aged Man Often Reprimands Talisman. A Loner. He Once Wasted Dosh Entering North Enclosure. Numerous Drinks. Exit Right.

:015: :015: :015:.... just dont let him find out where ya stay.

Marius was awesome today

He put in a decent shift, won some tastey challenges, had some classy touches and first touch passes, but didn't look like a goal scoring threat. Once again the question is posed... is he really an out-and-out striker? Or would his skills be better employed in midfield - especially given his tendency to drift back there to pick up the ball anyway.

Very wasteful and greedy up front but he had some nice touches and worked well with Wyness. He held the ball up and distributed it better than some others in the team.

Very wasteful and greedy up front but he had some nice touches and worked well with Wyness. He held the ball up and distributed it better than some others in the team.

I agree.... He also worked hard... covered a lot of ground, even helping out in defence on ocassions...

A useful player - I still can't quite see him becoming a prolific goalscorer....  :024:

Immature Middle-aged Man Often Reprimands Talisman. A Loner. He Once Wasted Dosh Entering North Enclosure. Numerous Drinks. Exit Right.

:rotflmao: I just couldnt respond  and ridicule Caley.

So where was the Messiah played today and how were he and Wyness used tactically. He sounds as if his general fitness is improving - what about the pace and movement ?

he was our best player today - Marius was awesome today - Very wasteful and greedy up front - didn't look like a goal scoring threat.  THEY DONT MATCH UP DO THEY ?

had some nice touches and worked well with Wyness. He held the ball up and distributed it better than some others in the team. - had some classy touches and first touch passes - has never been in doubt.

A useful player - I still can't quite see him becoming a prolific goalscorer - his tendency to drift back there to pick up the ball anyway. - absolutely spot feckin on - so are we paying mega spondoolachs for a useful, experienced, skilful midfielder ?  I thought we were talking about a prolific striker who is trying to reclaim his international spot !!

Just imagine for a second if it was Rory McAllister ?  :004:

- so are we paying mega spondoolachs for a useful, experienced, skilful midfielder ? 

Apparently...!!

Our front two had very little to work with, St Mirren had total posession and we resorted to playing on the break.  Marius is no striker, but he is an excellent attacking midfielder.  He does appear to be over eager tgo score now, this lack of goals is making him a little greedy now and the team would have benefitted more if he had played someone in instead of pulling the trigger once the chance had gone.  This happened on three or four occasions towards the end when Mirren were looking like snatching the draw and we were able to counter attack.  Marius played deepish, well he had to as we never put Mirren under the cosh for any length of time.

His class stood out, maybe by the lack of class shown by some of his team mates.

We probably are paying for a good midfielder, but he is bound to score one day...........is'nt he?

We probably are paying for a good midfielder, but he is bound to score one day...........is'nt he?

Possibly...!!

Our front two had very little to work with, St Mirren had total posession and we resorted to playing on the break.  Marius is no striker, but he is an excellent attacking midfielder.  He does appear to be over eager tgo score now, this lack of goals is making him a little greedy now and the team would have benefitted more if he had played someone in instead of pulling the trigger once the chance had gone.  This happened on three or four occasions towards the end when Mirren were looking like snatching the draw and we were able to counter attack.  Marius played deepish, well he had to as we never put Mirren under the cosh for any length of time.

His class stood out, maybe by the lack of class shown by some of his team mates.

We probably are paying for a good midfielder, but he is bound to score one day...........is'nt he?

Wow - a post with a rationale.  :crazy07:

Agree with most of it as well - But Marius would be a real "luxury" in central midfield - how would we cope defensively ? Does he really have the stamina and movement to play there - he may forage back but he really needs his rest time which he wouldnt get in the middle.

Why oh why dont we persist in playing him as an out and out centre forward - playing on the last defender.

His class always stands out - but we are playing to his supposed strengths not to the potential strengths of the team.

Everyone keeps going on about the Marius problem.  The problem isn't him,  we're that poor defensively just now we're over compensating in with defensive players in midfield.  Duncan and McBain!! Play one or the other,  you need a creative influence in midfield and I personally would have Marius just in behind Wyness or if your brave in behind a front 2.    The best form of attack is defence and we just aint attacking enough,  probably because we only have 2 players that can create anything and they were both playing up front yesterday.    Even Russell from the centre of the park was hoofing the ball forward.  I know Barry was on yesterday and I am Barry's biggest fan,  but his time as a starter is over now and is only going to be of use late on in a game.

We need at least 5 new players in January in my opinion (not that we can afford that, but still) and Phil McGuire is fine as a stopgap but we should NOT be looking to sign him permantley in January. 

As for Marius, going back to the thread,  we have many more important problems rather than just constantly going on about him.  Ok he's getting a lot of money but thats NOT for us to decide what he's getting paid.

Some people seem to think he's supposed to be a one man team!!

  The best form of attack is defence and.....

:024: :024:

NURSE... NURSE... Can you see to this chap please...?

He's completely lost the place....!!

:003:  apologies!  best form of defence is attack!!

Everyone keeps going on about the Marius problem.   The problem isn't him,  we're that poor defensively just now we're over compensating in with defensive players in midfield.   Duncan and McBain!! Play one or the other,  you need a creative influence in midfield and I personally would have Marius just in behind Wyness or if your brave in behind a front 2.    The best form of attack is defence and we just aint attacking enough,  probably because we only have 2 players that can create anything and they were both playing up front yesterday.    Even Russell from the centre of the park was hoofing the ball forward.   I know Barry was on yesterday and I am Barry's biggest fan,  but his time as a starter is over now and is only going to be of use late on in a game.

We need at least 5 new players in January in my opinion (not that we can afford that, but still) and Phil McGuire is fine as a stopgap but we should NOT be looking to sign him permantley in January. 

As for Marius, going back to the thread,  we have many more important problems rather than just constantly going on about him.  Ok he's getting a lot of money but thats NOT for us to decide what he's getting paid.

Some people seem to think he's supposed to be a one man team!!

It is not up to us to decide what he is getting paid but it is our right to comment if we think that he is not coming up to expectations - which he ISNT. He was overhyped as a potential international striker - he has struggled to get into the starting X1 !! I have always agreed that he is far from being the main problem but HE is ONE of the them and higher up than most. I note that you can criticise some of the others (correctly) but not Niculae - that is what has got on my goat.

Is he more sensitive than Rory, Mikey, Duncan, Barry ???  At least M4TJ gave both sides of the coin which I do as well.

And what is your real view on how he has been played - Deeper or on the last man ? I think a major problem is where we are playing him.

I agree with IHE on this one, where he is playing could be the problem. I think he would be more affective in midfield , or playing in behind the front two.

There is something there.

It?s possible that it could be unlocked by deploying him on the line or on the last defender. However, who would deliver the crosses in such a formation?

Marius does not seem to have the mobility, pace or stamina to work back, be part of a system that has served us well thus far and have enough left in the tank to drive a stake into the heart of the opposition.

Two questions:

Can we afford the luxury of sacrificing a presence in a slightly deeper position?

Does Marius want to be played in such a role?

Which begs the ultimate question:

Is Marius a folly and a failed ?moonbeam? ala Paul Le Guen?

We have cut him a great deal of slack but if our hardy patrons are to persevere with him long past St Andrews Day he must start delivering.

That whole 11 pages of the previous Marius post I say the guy is far from perfect.   I just don't see why its Marius Marius Marius the whole time.  Theres not 3 threads on any of the other players. Why just him???

I certainly (as I keep saying) am not saying he's any messiah or even a great player and he certainly has NO chance of getting back in the Romania squad.  But what I am saying is that he's not some sort of terrible player who all our problems stem from and to keep insisting that he is I think is frankly silly.  Get our defence sorted out,  then i'll start discussing the merits of Marius' contribution.  Because watching nearly every game this season,  the defending has been abysmal and has contributed far more to our poor form than Marius.  What has got on my goat to quote you is the way you repeatedly go on and on about him,  not the fact that you criticise him,  just the fact its the same stuff over and over.    Yeah i'll criticise a player now and again, like everyone on here.  But there isn't the same kind of "campaign" against anyone else and to single out 1 player constantly I feel is wrong.     

For the record I don't agree with what he is getting paid.  But again I don't pay his wages and I just want to see a good team on the park.  I mean I don't think oh well Alan Morgan had a bad game today,  but its ok because he's getting paid the least. But i'm raging at Marius because he only did Ok when he's getting paid much more!!

I think he should be played as an attacking midfielder maybe at the front of a 5 man midfield just behind the front 1 or 2.  His range of passing would be good for players bombing forward on the wings and he'd always be on the edge of the box for a shot if it came out that way.

IHE,  we are never going to agree on Marius I don't think, but this is the last time I'm going to post about him because I think we're both saying the same thing time after time to each other and I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one!

P.S.  If there was a handshake smiley i'd use it here!

The thread was only kept going becos of punters like you - I was proving a point.  :029: I only repeat myself becos, up until recently, people defended him to the hilt - they (you) are being more honest now - I think that we actually agree except he is too much of a luxury and not fit enuff to play in the hole - on the last defender or bye bye - think you may find that it was the same at Lisbon and at Mainz - history is repeating itself - we are better than he thought.

Quote from todays Winner in the Daily Record - Niculae - Needs to take a long hard look at himself.  A non-contributor. 3 points.  This is from an independant journalist. :023:

The Sun gave him a 6, and also pretty much quotes Rankin as saying that he is away.  With St Mirren being the option.

The ship is sinking and the Captain is in moderation.  :crazy07:

Marius isnt the 20 goal a season man everyone thought he would be. He has the skill and the effort but definitely not the pace or goalscoring ability. I agree that he would be more effective in attacking midfield but the team should NOT evolve around one player and if the management feels he should be used as a forward then he should be. Time is running out for Marius. Strikers are judged on how many goals they score and two goals against Arbroath isn't good enough

Quote from todays Winner in the Daily Record - Niculae - Needs to take a long hard look at himself.  A non-contributor. 3 points.  This is from an independant journalist. :023:

Has anybody contacted the Romanian Embassy ?