CaleyD

Had you said a large dose of fear, then I might have agreed. It's only reality because people choose to make it so. Why should the mindset have changed? Why can't we go out there and play the "big boys" with the same attitude as we did when we met them in cup games when coming up through the leagues? Who's place is it to say "we've found our level, now be grateful"? I'm not suggesting we go out and blow money we can't afford, or commit suicide on the pitch....but I can tell you one thing....I'd far rather we did that than suffer a slow painful death. In fact, it's not even about trying to get ahead of other teams, I'd be happy if the club were making an attempt to even keep up with teams around us just now. There's 1st and 2nd Div teams who are aiming higher than ICT at the moment.....it's getting to the stage where I think it's time for the current crop of Directors and Shareholders to either put up or ship out and let someone else with some ambition come in and have a go as, IMO, we've stood still, and perhaps gone a little backwards since we go into the SPL because they are scared to take a chance, or even follow one through.

From what I can understand, just make your transfers as normal and the system will catch up with itself. I'd wait until the last moment to see if the system catches up as it will very likely screw up somewhere, but as someone who has had to deal with these things, when it goes wrong you have to make decisions which won't always please everyone and cause some confusion. From the way I understand it, they either continued to generate a backlog with the e.mail transfers or they set the game live again and play catch-up. Not ideal, but probably the only realistic option they had. For those losing sleep over it, it's only a game, nobody will die as a result of it....unless it's you for giving yourself a coronary. It's the same circumstances for everyone playing, so take a deep breath, relax, make your transfers and realise that come tomorrow it may look a bit different because they've been catching up with the e.mail transfers.

The club should now put a revised (lower) offer on the table for him and then go about their business of looking elsewhere. If he doesn't come back with an acceptance before we sign other players then it is his loss. I think part of the problem (aside from the limited wages we can offer) is that there's not much by the way of other bait on our hook. The club aren't even capable of making a decision with regards to Marius, and he's the biggest bit of bait we've ever had at the club. If they were to agree a contract extension with him then I'd happily bet that we'd be able to garner interest from "better" players. If I was a young striker looking to get a foot up the ladder, or a striker who's career had perhaps stalled and was looking to kick-start it again, then I'd be far more interested in a move where I'd be playing alongside someone like Marius as opposed to someone like Rory. Keeping Marius could be the difference between reasonably comfortable survival and a relegation scrap with the very real chance of taking the drop for us next season IMO.....and I think a lot of players looking for a move right now will be thinking the very same thing. If the club want to attract players with real ambition and potential, then they have to start acting like a club with ambition. Lose the "wee team from the highlands" mentality and stop making c*cks of themselves by going to the press saying that a Div 2 player is our number 1 signing target. Yes, we have to keep an eye on what's immediately in front of us, but we also have to start thinking longer term....put some targets in place which consist of a little more than "finishing 11th will be a good season for us". We had that ambition and drive when we were coming up through the leagues, but it would seem that now we've got to the SPL that the fear of anything less is strangling that and nobody (well one person) wants to take the plunge to push us from scrappy survivors to consistent mid-table contenders. We shouldn't be p!ssing about with stupid deadlines for unproven players. We should be placing offers on the table and continuing to look. It shouldn't be ONE top signing target, it should be 3 or 4....and if players offered deals are too slow to decide and miss out to someone else, then that's their tough sh!t. I think Barrowman could be a decent signing, but I don't think he should be viewed as the person who's going to bag 10+ goals for us next season and it scares me sh!tless because I think Brewster might see him as just that. Even more worrying is that we don't seem to have much by way of a back-up plan either, with the "alternatives" looking like either fantasy or equally unproven. In the past when we've taken chances on players we've always maintained a player alongside them who may not have been "the best" but who we at least knew was capable of something. If Marius is sold, then we don't have that for next season, we have no buffer, no back-up that fills us with any confidence. If the decision to keep Marius rests on the signing of Barrowman, then I hope we don't as it could very well be the single worst decision ever made at ICT and one that consigns us to relegation next year.

Have sorted it. Looks like the security features on the forum which prevent users from posting rogue code which could cause issues is preventing anyone other than Admin from using the html tags (even though I am editing someone esles posts it recognises that it was admin and allows it). I'll try and remember to update the table frequently. I've also removed the off-topic posts, if people want to argue then take it to PM so the rest of us don't have to suffer it. If you don't like what someone else is posting, then put them on ignore.

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MUTUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!! COME ON :crazy07:

Not dugout the song comp stuff yet (I can sense the disappointment), but whilst our DJing last weekend and flicking through tracks I happened upon "Mika...Relax, Take it Easy" and for some reason I thought it would make a great tune. OK, so the lyrics are a bit depressing and would need a bit of work, but they're simple and that wouldn't be difficult.

It would seem Marius isn't set to start the game against Italy unless there's any last minute changes, but I'll tip him to come on in the last 20 minutes when the game is looking like stalemate and score the winner....proving what I said elsewhere, that what they need is someone up front with the physical strength and presence to hold the ball and wait for support when the tactics are tailored to defensive football. I was going to keep my money in my pocket as I've already pushed my luck betting on Romania, but hey ho, I've placed the following bets..... Romania Win @ 7 0-1 Romania @ 15 Romania Clean Sheet @ 4.8 First Goal to be scored in last 10 minutes of the game @ 28 Draw/Romania @ 15 Marius to score first @ (holding off for better odds when squads are announced and he's not starting :004: ) Basically if Romania lose then am fooked unless it's a last minute goal by Italy....in which case I'll still make something :015: Mad?.....probably :crazy07:

Full Back Page of Highland News (and a little inside)

Wow.....SFL really are stepping up the standards when they require Div 1 Managers to have their Pro License!!! :tic01:

Italy 0 v Romania 1 Netherlands 2 v France 0 Sweden 0 v Spain 4 Greece 1 v Russia 1 Netherlands

We've got it covered..............

That has to have been one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament so far. Granted, the first half was entertaining due to the farcical conditions, but all credit to those that got the pitch sorted at half time and some great end to end football as a result.

According to who? The investment that came in from Orion paid for Niculae to be here for the entire length of his contract. If you now factor in we'll get a decent chunk of cash from his participation in Euro 2008 then the club have already made a net gain from the deal. As things stand Marius could very well be the difference between us surviving or relegation next season as we have nobody capable of matching his goal tally in the squad. We'd either have to spend a very large chunk of whatever we got for him on bringing in someone unproven in the squad, or go with what we have (McAllister and Bayne). Relegation would cost us a **** of a lot more than whatever we might get for selling Niculae......not to mention the fact that everyone seems to think he would be playing out the final year of his contract, how do you know he's not willing to extend it :023: If we were in debt up to our eyeballs and the bank were chapping at the door then I'd agree we should take any decent offer, but we have a reasonably healthy bank balance, and unless we're posting silly losses for the last financial year then we're pretty comfortable. There's also the fact that Marius will help attract other players.....whether he stays or goes we still need another striker, do you think the prospect of coming to ICT and playing alongside McAllister or Bayne is as appealing as coming and playing alongside Marius? Who knows, we may well get an offer that's too good to refuse...but to let him go for anything less would be short sighted. In short, his value to ICT extends far beyond the ??? signs that might be attached to any offer we receive. I just hope those making the decisions have the vision to see that, but given the fact our Director of Football was having sleepless nights at the thought of Marius bringing in ?40k from playing in the Euros, that's pennies compared to the offers I think we should be getting for Marius and I shudder at how he might react if someone was to stick even a 6 figure offer on the table......I'd like to suggest he carries a clean pair of pants with him, as he'll very likely mess the ones he's wearing if ?40k turns him on so much.

In fairness Alex.....you were going to get a similar answer regardless of who you asked about for fear you may end up sponsoring them next season and applying the "Kiss of Death" :015:

Czech Republic 1 v Portugal 1 Switzerland 0 v Turkey 1 Croatia 1 v Germany 3 Austria 0 v Poland 1 Croatia v Germany

I'm assuming permission can only be given when the game is stopped.

I think the decision is right and should be enforced as it was by the officials in this game if it happens again. Otherwise it makes the offside rule pointless as a team could then play a defender practically on the goal-line at all times and then have him step off the park to create an "offside" position whenever he wishes.

Just a pity they didn't manage to pick up on the News that an ICT player made an appearance in the Euros last night!!!

This all actually comes down to the rule which says a player cannot leave the field of play (take himself out of the game) without the referees permission. Even though the Italian player landed up off the pitch as a result of colliding with the goalkeeper he would still be classed as "live" until the referee states otherwise, and then must seek permission to return. The situation with the player in the France v Romania game was the same. Even though he left the field of play he would still have been considered "live" however, he clearly could not be interfering with play, which is a pre-requisite of being flagged for offside.

"and lets go over and have a word with the manager of England....our absent friends" NEWSFLASH......The commentators are the only people missing England, nobody else in the world gives a feck.

I notice than our local paper couldn't even manage to congratulate Marius on making an appearance last night instead concentrating on Grassa's sleepless nights at the thought of him being selected and earning a nice windfall for the club.

I actually don't think Harry is that far off the mark in terms of his valuation of Marius. The teams who are likely to have a serious interest wouldn't bat an eyelid at paying ?1.5 to ?2 Million for a player of his pedigree and are unlikely to want to wait 12 months to secure his services. Personally I still hope that he stays and signs a contract extension (which I believe is not out of the question) and that we get another season from him before he moves on. As the club have said themselves....his salary is already budgeted for in next seasons figures and the windfall from his appearance in the Euros will go a long way to covering any extension beyond that, vastly reducing the financial risk to the club and allowing him to continue to develop and increasing his value. In fact, I'd be seriously p!ssed off if ICT were to let him leave for anything not in the ?2 Million region right now.

Didn't have it on as an accumulator....but not complaining as that's the Montenegro match and todays match I've cleaned up on (so far) :001:

Mark the calendar......9th June 2008 and ICTFC had their first ever player take to the pitch in the Euros :021: