As the season is drawing to a close, I was curious as to how the fans have weighed up the pros and cons of the whole Niculae situation? Has it all been worth it, in your opinions?

I think Niculae is a great player,  a little selfish at times but a great player.  The problem is we were offered him and we couldn't really turn down someone of that quality.  But we cant figure out where to play him to get the best out of him.  If we do that over the summer plus add a few other bodies we may well have a good season next year.

Remeber when Asprilla signed for Newcastle.  Unquestionably a great player but somehow they couldn't figure out where to play him and they lost the league that year.

I think we might have a similar situation with Marius!

He is clealry a class act and one of only a couple of players who has consistently performed on the park. Cowie comes to mind but no other player has showed class week in week out.

I am not convinced that he has upset other players, only their agents!

It must be tempting to sell him for a pretty penny but can a good replacement be found for less money?

I would recommend keeping him until the window next season and then sell him.

neksor

I have said this a few times on here -

I think the signing of Marius Niculae was the single worst decision ever made by the ICT board and I blame Savage and Christie for making it.

Savage for agreeing to pay him and Christie for standing for it.

In a word; no.

I hardly ever post on here these days due to the utter garbage posted by the vast majority of posters but it you can't see the class of Niculae then you might be better off watching formation morris dancing on Saturday afternoons.  Same mince posted with regards the respective value of Duncan, Rankin, Black, etc., etc.

Hang your heads in shame clueless whoppers.

:022:

I'd love to have seen Marius and Dargo up front together and think that we should sign a pacy forward to play alongside him if he's here next season.

Our problems on the pitch this season are that we concede goals far too easily.  We have conceded around 1.75 goals/game thsi season.  In 2004/05 we were at 1.23, in 2005/06 we were 1 goal/game and last season it was 1.26.  That translates to conceding an extra 19 goals a season. 

I hardly ever post on here these days due to the utter garbage posted by the vast majority of posters but it you can't see the class of Niculae then you might be better off watching formation morris dancing on Saturday afternoons.  Same mince posted with regards the respective value of Duncan, Rankin, Black, etc., etc.

Hang your heads in shame clueless whoppers.

What utter garbage.

he has been good for the younger players to show them that bit of class  if  im honest

I hardly ever post on here these days due to the utter garbage posted by the vast majority of posters but it you can't see the class of Niculae then you might be better off watching formation morris dancing on Saturday afternoons.  Same mince posted with regards the respective value of Duncan, Rankin, Black, etc., etc.

Hang your heads in shame clueless whoppers.

What utter garbage.

IHE would consider ymip's post to be garbage, because it doesn't agree with his own blinkered opinion.  However, I believe there is more than a grain of truth in what ymip says.  Niculae has been unfairly blamed for breaking the precious 'wage structure' at ICT.  In fact this was broken long before Niculae, and rightly so in my opinion, for Wyness when he came back from Hearts on loan.  The only difference was that Hearts were paying a goodly percentage of his wages and not Orion (as in Niculae's case).  Fixed wage structures are probably OK as teams progress through the lower leagues, but I cannot see how they can possibly work at SPL level where it is essential to improve the quality of the playing staff.  Good players don't come cheap.  I admire ICT's board for showing some balls and bringing in Niculae, who clearly is a quality player.  To judge him purely on the number of goals he has scored is a little unfair when for much of the time he has been played as a loan striker.  Nevertheless, 9 goals is still alot more than his predecessor, Dargo, has scored for St Mirren this season!  Apart from goals Niculae has number of 'assists' to his credit and I also remember about 3 or 4 penalties he won in our good spell before Xmas.  It seems to me that after a slow start, when he was clearly unfit, Niculae is now fitting very well into ICT , and I for one hope he is still with us next season despite the changes in the boardroom.  If there is unrest in the team because of Niculae's wages (and I'm not convinced this is the problem), then imo these colleagues should take a long hard look at themselves, and wait until they are proven internationalists before feeling hard done by.  To suggest that Niculae is over the hill and living on past glories it is clearly nonsense.  Romania obviously don't think so, but what do they know? They're only in the European Nations Cup this summer.  

and the "swansong" international game was done and dusted many months ago.

And yet you've spent the season mocking the prospect of him getting capped?

I hardly ever post on here these days due to the utter garbage posted by the vast majority of posters but it you can't see the class of Niculae then you might be better off watching formation morris dancing on Saturday afternoons.  Same mince posted with regards the respective value of Duncan, Rankin, Black, etc., etc.

Hang your heads in shame clueless whoppers.

What utter garbage.

IHE would consider ymip's post to be garbage, because it doesn't agree with his own blinkered opinion.  However, I believe there is more than a grain of truth in what ymip says.  Niculae has been unfairly blamed for breaking the precious 'wage structure' at ICT.  In fact this was broken long before Niculae, and rightly so in my opinion, for Wyness when he came back from Hearts on loan.  The only difference was that Hearts were paying a goodly percentage of his wages and not Orion (as in Niculae's case).  Fixed wage structures are probably OK as teams progress through the lower leagues, but I cannot see how they can possibly work at SPL level where it is essential to improve the quality of the playing staff.  Good players don't come cheap.  I admire ICT's board for showing some balls and bringing in Niculae, who clearly is a quality player.  To judge him purely on the number of goals he has scored is a little unfair when for much of the time he has been played as a loan striker.  Nevertheless, 9 goals is still alot more than his predecessor, Dargo, has scored for St Mirren this season!  Apart from goals Niculae has number of 'assists' to his credit and I also remember about 3 or 4 penalties he won in our good spell before Xmas.  It seems to me that after a slow start, when he was clearly unfit, Niculae is now fitting very well into ICT , and I for one hope he is still with us next season despite the changes in the boardroom.  If there is unrest in the team because of Niculae's wages (and I'm not convinced this is the problem), then imo these colleagues should take a long hard look at themselves, and wait until they are proven internationalists before feeling hard done by.  To suggest that Niculae is over the hill and living on past glories it is clearly nonsense.  Romania obviously don't think so, but what do they know? They're only in the European Nations Cup this summer.  

Wow!  That has got be Post of the Year.  I agree 100%.

Not getting into the debate as to whether he has been good or bad that's all personal opinions which we are all entitled to. All I will say that his last game for Romanian was not a swansong and if he avoids injuries he will have an excellent chance of making the euros this summer

Joining a high flying, ambitious Scottish club like ICT was a very good move for Marius, Stevico1...  :018:

He has come on leaps and bounds since he arrived here and has been made to fight for a place in the team in amongst seasoned pros like Graham Bayne and Dennis Wyness - and not forgetting up and coming rising stars like Rory McAllister...

If Marius keeps working on his fitness and endeavours to learn a few new skills from team-mates such as Russel Duncan and Don Cowie, he could have a very good future in this game indeed, maybe even as a Romanian international...  :023:

Having spoken to fans of other teams we've played in the SPL the majority rate Marius very highly and think we are lucky to have him in our squad.

Hope he makes the Euros with Rumania this summer and all the best to him if he does.  :021:

IHE would consider ymip's post to be garbage, because it doesn't agree with his own blinkered opinion.  However, I believe there is more than a grain of truth in what ymip says.  Niculae has been unfairly blamed for breaking the precious 'wage structure' at ICT.  In fact this was broken long before Niculae, and rightly so in my opinion, for Wyness when he came back from Hearts on loan.  The only difference was that Hearts were paying a goodly percentage of his wages and not Orion (as in Niculae's case).  Fixed wage structures are probably OK as teams progress through the lower leagues, but I cannot see how they can possibly work at SPL level where it is essential to improve the quality of the playing staff.  Good players don't come cheap.  I admire ICT's board for showing some balls and bringing in Niculae, who clearly is a quality player.  To judge him purely on the number of goals he has scored is a little unfair when for much of the time he has been played as a loan striker.  Nevertheless, 9 goals is still alot more than his predecessor, Dargo, has scored for St Mirren this season!  Apart from goals Niculae has number of 'assists' to his credit and I also remember about 3 or 4 penalties he won in our good spell before Xmas.  It seems to me that after a slow start, when he was clearly unfit, Niculae is now fitting very well into ICT , and I for one hope he is still with us next season despite the changes in the boardroom.  If there is unrest in the team because of Niculae's wages (and I'm not convinced this is the problem), then imo these colleagues should take a long hard look at themselves, and wait until they are proven internationalists before feeling hard done by.  To suggest that Niculae is over the hill and living on past glories it is clearly nonsense.  Romania obviously don't think so, but what do they know? They're only in the European Nations Cup this summer. 

I think there might be a case for a "WHOOSH!" here. Oh, and some paragraphs  :004:

I hardly ever post on here these days due to the utter garbage posted by the vast majority of posters but it you can't see the class of Niculae then you might be better off watching formation morris dancing on Saturday afternoons.  Same mince posted with regards the respective value of Duncan, Rankin, Black, etc., etc.

Hang your heads in shame clueless whoppers.

What utter garbage.

IHE would consider ymip's post to be garbage, because it doesn't agree with his own blinkered opinion.  However, I believe there is more than a grain of truth in what ymip says.  Niculae has been unfairly blamed for breaking the precious 'wage structure' at ICT.  In fact this was broken long before Niculae, and rightly so in my opinion, for Wyness when he came back from Hearts on loan.  The only difference was that Hearts were paying a goodly percentage of his wages and not Orion (as in Niculae's case).  Fixed wage structures are probably OK as teams progress through the lower leagues, but I cannot see how they can possibly work at SPL level where it is essential to improve the quality of the playing staff.  Good players don't come cheap.  I admire ICT's board for showing some balls and bringing in Niculae, who clearly is a quality player.  To judge him purely on the number of goals he has scored is a little unfair when for much of the time he has been played as a loan striker.  Nevertheless, 9 goals is still alot more than his predecessor, Dargo, has scored for St Mirren this season!  Apart from goals Niculae has number of 'assists' to his credit and I also remember about 3 or 4 penalties he won in our good spell before Xmas.  It seems to me that after a slow start, when he was clearly unfit, Niculae is now fitting very well into ICT , and I for one hope he is still with us next season despite the changes in the boardroom.  If there is unrest in the team because of Niculae's wages (and I'm not convinced this is the problem), then imo these colleagues should take a long hard look at themselves, and wait until they are proven internationalists before feeling hard done by.  To suggest that Niculae is over the hill and living on past glories it is clearly nonsense.  Romania obviously don't think so, but what do they know? They're only in the European Nations Cup this summer.  

What utter garbage.

and the "swansong" international game was done and dusted many months ago.

And yet you've spent the season mocking the prospect of him getting capped?

You never quite get it rite do ya.  :029: I have always alluded to the Euros.

and the "swansong" international game was done and dusted many months ago.

And yet you've spent the season mocking the prospect of him getting capped?

You never quite get it rite do ya.  :029: I have always alluded to the Euros.

Yes to be fair you did, but I am predicting you will be wrong with the Euros but I have been wrong before.

In fact if I wasnt so **** stupid I could include an image that tells you why I think he might just make it

http://www.gsp.ro/stire/are-lotul-62661.html

This is a link in Romanian press saying that Marius will be included in squad for the Euros, it is all in Romania but you will see a table at the bottom of the article that indicates what the chances are of each player making it to the Euros

Take money out of the equation and I certainly think Niculae was a worthwhile signing.  Anyone with an ounce of knowledge about the game can see that he's a step up from anyone we've ever had playing in an ICT shirt in terms of class.

Has he been value for money?  I don't think he has been worth ?5000/week to ICT, purely on the basis that I think we could have retained the services of an on-form Dargo for less than half that price and very likely have achieved the same outcome for the season.

I don't buy the whole "Orion paying half his wages" line either.  As I understand it the only money to come directly to the club from Orion is a ?275,000 invest for a 12% shareholding.....that's not player sponsorship, that's the purchase of a stake in a football club.  So, although the investment perhaps made the signing possible, it is ICT who are paying 100% of the wages.

You trying going into a shop, buying ?10 worth of goods and telling them to stick your tenner in the charity tin on the counter instead of in the till!!!

All that aside though, I don't think it's the money that he's being paid that has caused the majority of the issues.  I think it's the way it was done and the fact that existing squad contracts were all but ignored last summer when we were chasing after Niculae.  The whole thing smacked of "you're not important we'll deal with you later".

I worked in Change Management and the first thing you learn is that change, whatever it is, unsettles people.  Fact...more people leave perfectly good jobs which they have been happy in for years during periods of change due to uncertainty than for any other reason...even when the changes will have little to no impact on them.

If you want to avoid that then you have to remove the uncertainty, if you want to remove the uncertainty then you have to show/tell/demonstrate to key employees that they are valued and will still be a part of whatever comes after the changes.  For a footballer that's all about contract length, wages and bonuses.  Had the club taken the time to review the contracts of our key players 12 months ago then I don't think we'd be seeing half the issues we are now.

ICT showed some welcome ambition when they signed Niculae but they made the big mistake of taking existing player loyalty for granted and I think that's the reason they are now paying the price and it has very little to do with whether or not "Niculae was worth it"

A prime example of some people ignoring the fact that "It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it".

Take money out of the equation and I certainly think Niculae was a worthwhile signing.  Anyone with an ounce of knowledge about the game can see that he's a step up from anyone we've ever had playing in an ICT shirt in terms of class.

Has he been value for money?  I don't think he has been worth ?5000/week to ICT, purely on the basis that I think we could have retained the services of an on-form Dargo for less than half that price and very likely have achieved the same outcome for the season.

I don't buy the whole "Orion paying half his wages" line either.  As I understand it the only money to come directly to the club from Orion is a ?275,000 invest for a 12% shareholding.....that's not player sponsorship, that's the purchase of a stake in a football club.  So, although the investment perhaps made the signing possible, it is ICT who are paying 100% of the wages.

You trying going into a shop, buying ?10 worth of goods and telling them to stick your tenner in the charity tin on the counter instead of in the till!!!

All that aside though, I don't think it's the money that he's being paid that has caused the majority of the issues.  I think it's the way it was done and the fact that existing squad contracts were all but ignored last summer when we were chasing after Niculae.  The whole thing smacked of "you're not important we'll deal with you later".

I worked in Change Management and the first thing you learn is that change, whatever it is, unsettles people.  Fact...more people leave perfectly good jobs which they have been happy in for years during periods of change due to uncertainty than for any other reason...even when the changes will have little to no impact on them.

If you want to avoid that then you have to remove the uncertainty, if you want to remove the uncertainty then you have to show/tell/demonstrate to key employees that they are valued and will still be a part of whatever comes after the changes.  For a footballer that's all about contract length, wages and bonuses.  Had the club taken the time to review the contracts of our key players 12 months ago then I don't think we'd be seeing half the issues we are now.

ICT showed some welcome ambition when they signed Niculae but they made the big mistake of taking existing player loyalty for granted and I think that's the reason they are now paying the price and it has very little to do with whether or not "Niculae was worth it"

A prime example of some people ignoring the fact that "It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it".

Wow!  That has got be Post of the Year.  I agree 100%.

I don't buy the whole "Orion paying half his wages" line either.  As I understand it the only money to come directly to the club from Orion is a ?275,000 invest for a 12% shareholding.....that's not player sponsorship, that's the purchase of a stake in a football club.  So, although the investment perhaps made the signing possible, it is ICT who are paying 100% of the wages.

L_G mentioned this recently on another thread. That is NOT the way this deal has been presented. A number of people from the club from Brewster to Grassa have talked about "the chairman picking up most of Marius' wage".

If that's not the case then it's yet another example of our board treating the club's fans and players with total contempt.

http://www.gsp.ro/stire/are-lotul-62661.html

This is a link in Romanian press saying that Marius will be included in squad for the Euros, it is all in Romania but you will see a table at the bottom of the article that indicates what the chances are of each player making it to the Euros

It is OK - I speak fluent Romanian. Cant get better than 100% - I have to admit I never realised they had so few forwards to choose from.  :023:

we have to take risks to progress as a club, (I think it would be hard for anyone to argue with that) but has it been a success... not really!

IMO we had to go for him knowing that he was available but probably bad timing when what we needed this season was a tall strong centre half and a pacey striker (i.e. Offiong) to replace Dods and Dargo

Niculae is a better Wyness (only because his height and heading ability give a different dimension), they play best with back to goal and someone running beyond.  I think it's hard to criticise either of these players when they haven't had the right partner up front with them... if Brew has any sense he will get Barrowman and hopefully we will also see the best of Niculae next season.  Only problem being that unless we sell him in the January transfer market we'll see no money

He will NOT be wearing our strip next season - he is being punted by Grassa to all and sundry. That is why we are being told that the financing of his wages will not be a problem next season.  :014: