MARIUS WATCH

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Marius Niculae  :015: :015: :015: :015: :015: - Five feckin smileys -  :rotflmao:

Despite the fact that this was possibly one of the direst games in Euro History and will probably go down as the worst game of the tournament - I feckin loved it.  :021: :021:

To hear ICT mentioned on such a stage and yer man getting in about feckin France was totally surreal. I am still gobsmacked at how he has been selected - and playing  :029: - but he is doing his part to put ICT on the map and he certainly will have my undivided attention.

Given the Romanians wholly negative, worse than Craig Brown, approach to the game I didnt think that he would get on - but did my mates know it when he did - The lazy ******* made me proud to be a Sneckite.  :021: :021: :021:

Feck me - Marius for Mutu  :rotflmao: - marked by Thuram  :rotflmao: - picks up Gallas at the corner  :017: - even if he did lose him. 

Feckin rock on Marius.  :011:  I have to admit that the whole experience just has to be good for him and if he stays he can only improve and attract partners.

But at the end of it - it was just like watching ICT away - The lazy ******* only gets five touches in 15 minutes - none in the last third of the field.  :rotflmao:

But who feckin cares - MARIUS NICULAE IS A FECKIN LEGEND - Will I be reminding them at work tomorrow - MADE MA FECKIN SUMMER.  :rotflmao:

[Guest birdog]

Marius Niculae  :015: :015: :015: :015: :015: - Five feckin smileys -  :rotflmao:

Despite the fact that this was possibly one of the direst games in Euro History and will probably go down as the worst game of the tournament - I feckin loved it.  :021: :021:

To hear ICT mentioned on such a stage and yer man getting in about feckin France was totally surreal. I am still gobsmacked at how he has been selected - and playing  :029: - but he is doing his part to put ICT on the map and he certainly will have my undivided attention.

Given the Romanians wholly negative, worse than Craig Brown, approach to the game I didnt think that he would get on - but did my mates know it when he did - The lazy ******* made me proud to be a Sneckite.  :021: :021: :021:

Feck me - Marius for Mutu  :rotflmao: - marked by Thuram  :rotflmao: - picks up Gallas at the corner  :017: - even if he did lose him. 

Feckin rock on Marius.  :011:  I have to admit that the whole experience just has to be good for him and if he stays he can only improve and attract partners.

But at the end of it - it was just like watching ICT away - The lazy ******* only gets five touches in 15 minutes - none in the last third of the field.  :rotflmao:

But who feckin cares - MARIUS NICULAE IS A FECKIN LEGEND - Will I be reminding them at work tomorrow - MADE MA FECKIN SUMMER.  :rotflmao:

Best fecking post you have ever made IHE  :021: :021: :021:

[Yngwie]

When you consider the disappointing season he and we have had, I had to pinch myself that he was actually playing in the Euros against France.

And more significantly, he didn't look out of his depth.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

And more significantly, he didn't look out of his depth.

:rotflmao: :rotflmao:

Fer fecks sake - stick to the feckin romance and lets not get into a footballing debate - he played the last 15 minutes - he touched the ball five feckin times and passed backwards on all five occasions.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Marius was magic. He played well and kept Inverness above Rangers, Hearts and a stack of Premiership teams without representation at Euro 2008. The commentators seemed to think the game reminded them of England which must be rare at a Euro final. No mention of his goals against Arbroath but his clever goal at Celtic Park was mentioned. Who would have thought Arbroath would get promoted but playing against a Uefa Cup Finalist no doubt inspired them. Little did they know he would play against France later in the season.

Clearly his presence in the SPL had an even bigger impact on our League Runners Up, Rangers beaten sadly by Celtic, who we beat, with 10 men.http://www.rangers.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=507064 'There is even an Inverness Caley Thistle player at Euro 2008 - Romania's Marius Niculae.' Patronising bunch of whingers.

Apart from Sionko and Gattuso, Rangers find it diffult to associate themselves with Euro 2008 unless they name drop Inverness Caledonian Thistle who in the previous year took 7 points off them.

Magic Marius. But for Celtic's Magic a tactical substitution seems to have lead to self harm. 'Maciej Zurawski substituted after 46 minutes against Germany in Klagenfurt and Beenhakker admitted he did not know the forward was injured at the time.' He said 'he often plays like that'.

[alternative maryhill]

You're a sentimental old **** at heart, aren't you, IHE? I look forward to your first post after a 0-0 away at Accies...

[TomCaleyJag]

It was totally surreal. It was like seeing a mate on TV. Absolutely delighted  :001: :001: :001: :001: :001:

[KilveanLegend]

Got to say I was sleeping till Marius came on I have never being so exited in seeing a player come off the bench. Some week for Caley players on the international front with Marius playing France and with Hastings having played 90 minutes against Brazil for Canada.

[MissICT]

It was just amazing to see a caley boy on such a stage. By the way Brilliant post.

[breachofthepeace]

I must admit to getting a tad excited myself (and a bit proud) when Marius came on and was just willing him to score (weren't we all). Just to have an ICT player at this level is superb and regardless of wether he scores or not in the rest of the competition as ICT fans we should be delighted.

Good on you Marius :)

[GATEPOST]

It was totally surreal. It was like seeing a mate on TV. Absolutely delighted  :001: :001: :001: :001: :001:

Haha, thats how i felt as well man!

My mates were all looking at me grinning away like I was a fecking idiot but that made my summer! Highly amusing!

I hope Marius knows he made a lot of Sneckites very happy today! Coming on for Mutu just made it for me  :crazy07:

[alimci]

From The Independent

It did, however, generate new interest in Inverness, when the Caledonian Thistle's representative at the tournament, Marius Niculae, replaced Mutu for the last 10 minutes.

Fab seeing Inverness mentioned everywhere. Would be nice to think it might have an impact on gates next season.

[BA]

The Sun went with something along the lines: With 12 minutes remaining Mutu was replaced to a standing ovation inone of Euro 2008 strangest substitutions. Off, Adrian Mutu of Fiorentina. On, Marius Niculae of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

[Harry Chibber]

I really don't think the game was half as bad as the BBC made out.  If you were watching from a French perspective then yes they were gash but Romania were well organised, played with no fear and never panicked on the ball.  Niculae looked fresh and more than adequate at that level, I'm sure he will have more involvement as the tournament progresses

[clacher_holiday2]

Great player but what a lazy git, we knew that anyway though  :015:

Give hi the ball in and around the box and he'll make something happen, looking forward to his easy games coming up.

[Guest birdog]

I wil save IHE the effort of typing

I really don't think the game was half as bad as the BBC made out.  If you were watching from a French perspective then yes they were gash but Romania were well organised, played with no fear and never panicked on the ball.  Niculae looked fresh and more than adequate at that level, I'm sure he will have more involvement as the tournament progresses

It is because he took a rest for every second game during the season that he looked so fresh :tic01: :tic01:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Yip - emotional attachment I can understand but hysterical adulation defies belief.  :029:

[Harry Chibber]

Yip - emotional attachment I can understand but hysterical adulation defies belief.  :029:

or your upset that after your berrating of Niculae that he might turn out to be one of the best bits of buisness the club has ever done... no?

[Hiro]

Marius does in his rival!

Good work from Marius.

Take out one of your rivals to start on Friday. Watch out for Daniel Niculae "falling down the stairs" sometime this week. 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Yip - emotional attachment I can understand but hysterical adulation defies belief.  :029:

or your upset that after your berrating of Niculae that he might turn out to be one of the best bits of buisness the club has ever done... no?

I have never berrated Marius - I have criticised him and applauded him - I can see the "grey" rather than the "black or white". I want him to stay and prove he can be a "proper" SPL player rather than look at him from a business point of view.

[Scotty]

I want him to stay and prove he can be a "proper" SPL player rather than look at him from a business point of view.

:clapping03: :clapping03:

Hope the club eventually see it that way too !!!

[Harry Chibber]

I'd take the money and run, we've lost out on far too much money by letting players finish their contracts

Niculae is a luxury player and one we/Orion have struggled to afford, if we sell him it is money for nothing that can be used to progress the club

saying all that, I'd love to see Niculae with a pacey striker (Offiong/Buchanan/Jackson) upfront, I think we'd bag the goals and maybe even make top 6.  It would just be criminal not to take a decent offer if it came along

[CaleyD]

Niculae is a luxury player and one we/Orion have struggled to afford

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.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Well if the spondoolachs did come along we should grab them. I would have to compare Marius with a striker who plays like him and has performed similiarly at the Euros - say Nicholas Annelka against Romania - and look at what he is worth.  :001:

[Scarlet Pimple]

If he does indeed get a pacey matey , or two, he may well be worth keeping. But otherwise he could  simply be a very exopensiev niuc eman in shorts. :024: