Marius Niculae Signs For ICT

[chris123]

Niculae at TCS

FORZA CALEY JAGS :021:

[Guest TinCanFan]

I see he will be playing as number 18 (McSwegan's number last season) this season.  Maybe if everyone cheers him constantly when he gets the ball he might stay at ICT for longer or chant olay like Celtic fans used to do for Jimmy Johnstone.

[Guest samuelbarros]

So, our midfield line up could be Paat, Nic and Dunc. For some reason, Irish jokes are coming to mind.

[Guest TinCanFan]

So, our midfield line up could be Paat, Nic and Dunc. For some reason, Irish jokes are coming to mind.

Isn't Niculae a striker?

[RossP]

He's also a midfielder apparently

[TheKarl]

Yay!

There does seemed to be a few mixed feelings on Nic' among fans but I for one am rather chuffed we got him. It's just weighing up the pro's and con's and can't reeeally say anything untill weve seen him play. Im looking forward to the season ahead..

[TheresNoEsInBlack]

Thats right TinCan but if he's good and ends up signing for one of the old firm eventually, its not just us he'll score against, it'll be everyone!  So we won't be at any more of a disadvantage than any other team.

Good point.  So what you're saying is if Niculae signs for one of the OF and scores against everyone else then that could benefit ICT in future seasons.

No, what I'm saying is it won't make any difference to us at all.

[Guest TinCanFan]

I doubt the OF would sign him unlessICT signed him.

[CaleyD]

Is he not a striker only? seems to have been playing there for most of his career anyway.

I would imagine that the sums of money talked about there was the original asking fee, but with regards paying him more than other players, would Dargo if he stayed not have been on a much greater salery than everone else? if he can produce the goods and indeed get 15 or so goals then the win bonus will keep the other players happy.

Caley100, I think you have made a very good point there and it was certainly not an angle that I had thought about.

There are 101 different scenarios which could make up the deal, some of which would put the rest of the squad on a wage a lot closer to Niculaes with the inclusion of bonuses.

The deal is done and thier is no going back on it, whether we agree with it or not we have to get behind the player, the team and the club in order to ensure we get the best from it and the coming season. We can praise the club for being ambitous or we can criticise them for taking a risk too large, but until the season is played out and we can see how things are going then we don't know if it was the right or wrong move.

If it works then those who were against will say we got lucky and those who were for it will say "I told you so" - and vice versa.  Isn't that half the thrill of the journey though?  If we all thought the same then their would be no need for discussion, we would all be a lot less passionate and following ICT would be helluva boring.  ICT have never done the "expected", they've carved out their own path and their own methods on most things, so why would they change that now - I've agreed and disagreed with more than I care to remember over the last 13 years but I wouldn't change a single moment of it and whether your for or against the Niculae signing I believe it will be one of those JFK moments in ICTs History.

[Exiled ICT]

I doubt the OF would sign him unless ICT signed him.

That's right, the OF only ever buy players from Scottish clubs.  :017:

The boy's only been signed with us for one day,  and already people are worrying about him leaving FFS! Why don't we leave the boy alone see how good he is on a pitch playing football. At the end of the day he's only going to move to a big club for a big transfer fee if he's very good which will obviously benefit us greatly in the short term.

[Scotty]

actually ... TCF was already worried about him scoring for Celtic against us before he signed  :015: :015:

As CD says, following ICT since its birth has been a fair old rollercoaster ride and although I'm not too keen on rollercoasters, this is one ride that has been worth it all the way..... compared to 3 or 4 weeks ago, I am now looking forward to the new season with some optimism and both Niculae, McDonald and the actions of the management in casting their net wide in the search for players have a lot to do with that.

[Guest TinCanFan]

Then again he could score a shed load of goals for ICT and the OF would still not sign him.  The OF didn't sign Wyness, Bayne, Dargo or Paul Richie who have all scored a lot of goals for Caley Thistle.

[RossP]

Just saw the North Tonight report, quite glad that Niculae speaks English as it will make his integration and communication in the team a lot easier.

In patchy English he basically said he wants to help ICT get into the top 6 this season and is not here for the money  :tic01:

[Council Juice]

This guy is gonna be major hit or miss! Im mainly concerned about his fitness -he's seemed to have had problems with injuries and he's missed a pre season.

Even if he's ready at the start of the season it might take over two months for him to be match fit (and thats if he doesnt get injured) and then he's got to learn English, adjust to the culture and the style of the Scottish game.

It could be that he's really good and wanting to prove himself so alot of that won't matter.

I just hope that if he's guff to start with the "fans" dont get on his back.

Im really pleased the club have showed such ambition in signing a seasoned International with a good european pedigree and just about to hit his prime and long may such ambition continue.

[DundeeICT]

Hopefully this works out as a good signing.

Also i would like to think that in having his medical ICT thoroughly checked out previous injuries

to ensure his basic fitness is good, therefore not signing a Daniel Prodan like the gers!!

:024:

[Pele_Is_God]

There are pics from the parading on his official site.

[EWS]

Good to see that the pitch survived and is in good looking condition!

[Guest ICT]

Let's hope he can rediscover his best form, which seems to have been in 2000 and 2001. 12 international goals sounds great, but only 2 since 2001 and they were against Andorra.

Think he's gonna come good but, like Dargo, he may struggle a bit at first so it is vital that everyone gets behind him from the off and keeps supporting him even when he's having a howler.

[Alex MacLeod]

I have no doubt that a few people will have reservations about this signing. Nobody knows how the lad is going top fair but he is ambitious and made no secret of the fact he wants to play in the premiership. We persisted and got him on a two year deal which also shows that this club is displaying ambitious attributes. If the lad is as good as is expected then he will be an asset to the club. After a season there may well be a club south of the border willing to stump up a lot of wad for the guy. We could make good money out of him and, like someone else said, if he's that good, and can gel with our other players, then all the team make more in bonuses and we make more from cup runs and league position. If the management team has it right with the blend of new signings and existing players we could well be knocking on the door of european football.

[Guest TinCanFan]

This guy must be good because as far as I know he is the only ICT player ever to have an official website.

www.mariusniculae.ro

Shame it's all in Romanian though. :029:

[Guest TinCanFan]

Just found a video of a goal Niculae scored for Sporting Lisbon against AC Milan.  If he can produce goals like this on a weekly basis then I'll be one happy ICT fan.

www.metacafe.com/watch/229495/nicolae_goal/

[Harry Chibber]

:010: :010: :010:

[monthecaley]

Stated enemy of Stelea, Once the goalkeeper with Dinamo shall be due to carries the gnawed colors.

this is a brilliant quote. sounds like he is going to rip the guys head off with his teeth or something...

i'm not slating the translation, it just made me laugh

[The Mantis]

famous unknown Inverness Caledonian

Mon the famous unknown ICT  :021: :021: :021:

[caley100]

He must be the first ICT player with his own website.