We are signing Hagi and Popescu!!

[Guest donmac298]

Harry, good to see you're bringing some sense to this debate.

[Yngwie]

DBS, it's always a risk when you bring in a new player, and the risks are much much higher if the player comes from overseas. There have been dozens of foreign duds in the SPL, brought in by clubs with far better scouting networks than us. Even Brazilian internationals have turned out to be Scheidt.

There are not many Scottish/English players who are :

1) Better than what we already have,

2) Willing to fit into out wage structure, and

3) Willing to relocate to Inverness

When you open this up to foreign players, most of the decent ones consider the SPL to be a footballing backwater. Places that have worse leagues than our but somehow export good players anyway (Scandinavia, Ireland) already have scouts crawling all over them.

So where are we going to find the players to improve the team next season? Looking in Romania is certainly a rare moment of creative thinking from our club. Romania is in the EU, and its poorest member. It's an untapped market, and most players there would jump at the chance to move.

The risks are very high, but the club are well aware of that and will proceed with caution. Nothing wrong with having a look and getting a couple of players over for trials in the pre-season.

[johnnykipper]

Only time will tell. I'd love for him to prove me wrong but from what I've heard from him, I'm not convinced that he knows what he's doing.

Exactly, would it not be worth waiting to see what comes from the speculation before shooting Savage and the board down on something you really know nothing about?

Surely you should have included yourself in that statement.

[Harry Chibber]

Only time will tell. I'd love for him to prove me wrong but from what I've heard from him, I'm not convinced that he knows what he's doing.

Exactly, would it not be worth waiting to see what comes from the speculation before shooting Savage and the board down on something you really know nothing about?

Surely you should have included yourself in that statement.

f*ck sake!

Everyone was happy to complain that the club had a small team mentality when our scouting system came in to question previously, and that CC doesn't have a big enough 'name' to attract big players.  Now the club has made strides to set up a scouting system with 2 world renowned names in the game and all you miserable ba5tards can do is...  well.... be miserable ba5tards!!

This might all be bollox but it at least shows ambition, if they can produce one decent player and it benefits the club then I'll be delighted no matter what nationality he is.  Currently the Scottish and English markets are too expensive for us to compete with other teams in the division so why not tap into a market that could offer us something different for a more reasonable price, makes perfect business sense (obviously depending on how much we are paying the Scouts :024:).  Remember this is not just an Eastern European connection, if Hagi has still got ties at Barca we could see a Cesc Fabregas, maybe asking too much but surely it is worth taking a chance :001:

:029:

[johnnykipper]

f*ck sake!

if Hagi has still got ties at Barca we could see a Cesc Fabregas, maybe asking too much but surely it is worth taking a chance :001:

Maybe he still has ties with Real Madrid and he could get us some of their players too,  we could see a Raul, maybe asking too much but surely it is worth taking a chance or maybe a few Italians from Brescia or some Turks from Galatasaray, what a squad we could have, in fact Chumpions League anyone? because I know there are one or two chumps about here that actually believe some of the crap they write.

[Harry Chibber]

My post was just pointing out that we shouldn't write off the idea until we know all the details, I was obviously exaggerating the best scenario, better that than being a negative ****. 

[FortressICT]

so nothing has come of this at all.o well.

[Yngwie]

::)

[Alex MacLeod]

so nothing has come of this at all.o well.

Explain young man. What did you expect to see so soon and outside the transfer window.

[kencar]

I read today Gretna have a scout in South America taking in games.  :rolleyes02:

[dead_ball_specialist]

I'd prefer if we focused on developing LOCAL youth. Remember, Celtic managed to win the European cup with a whole team of local boys.

There's a 6 page special about the Lisbon Lions in this months 4-4-2...

"When he (Jock Stein) became Celtic manager in March 1965 he inherited a nucleus of homegrown players, many of whom he had worked with as the club's youth and reserve coach several years earlier. With a few choice buys, a little judicious tinkering and plenty of tactical nous, Stein fashioned a side of world-beaters from this group of local lads, all of whom were born within 30 miles of Celtic Park."

[Alex MacLeod]

Yeah but back then teams could only have 4 foriegn players, and that included English Welsh and Irish, so had no choice but to use local talent. Also bear in mind that, at that time, a 30 mile radius of Parkhead took in 3/4's of the population of Scotland.

[PullMyFinger]

Has anyone heard of any developments related to this story? Or are we still waiting for Dargo's decision? :024:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Hagi and Popescu were seen in the Nip Inn last nite - apparently it is the closest thing we have to a Rumanian style bar.

[PullMyFinger]

Thanks, that helps. :shooting05:

[Scarlet Pimple]

Is it desperation then or enterprising thinking?

Maybe a bit of both  with a dash of invention and "thinking outside the box" thrown in for novelty and perhaps  a boit of "nothing ventured, nothing gained"

So long as importing foreign nationals into ICT does not become a regular habit such that the fans stop showing up, then  one or two would  be interesting additions--like as in Juanjo?

Let's give the Management the benefit of the doubt--if this is true at least they are attempting to be progressive and deserve support. :clapping03:

[kencar]

Think we'll have to rely on only Popescu now that Hagi has been made coach at Steaua Bucharest  :023:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Hagi left the Polly boys last year - him and Popescu are raking in the feckin transfer fee cash in Romania.

[Guest stevico64]

http://icscotland.icnetwork.co.uk/sport/sp...-name_page.html

latest popescu story

[PullMyFinger]

INVERNESS LOOK TO ROMANIA STARLETS Jun 27 2007

Craig Swan

GICA POPESCU has opened the doors of his soccer academy to Inverness Caley Thistle.

But the Romanian World Cup hero has insisted he will leave all recommendations and recruitment to his coaches if the Highlanders find a talent they want to pursue.

Popescu, whose soccer school in Craiova has around 250 kids agedeight to 18, said: "I have had a meeting with a gentleman representing a Scottish club and I have sent them to see my coaches.

"I don't know if I would persuade any of the boys to go to Scotland. I don't know enough about the club in question and it would depend on the individual boy.

"But I and my school are open and I have said they are welcome to look."

Inverness director of football Graeme Bennett said: "Football is all about contacts and a friend of my chairman was based over there.

"Who knows where it could lead? If we can get any sort of help from people of that calibre it can't do anything but assist the club."

Nothing new there then :009: