NurembergVillan

OK, a simple question and not a transfer speculation thread - who will we sign next?

Unlikely I'd say.

Good point, well made.

Well, it's a combo of facts and some sort of logic, at least. They could well unveil Marlon Harewood in the Hummel kit tomorrow and make me look daft. I don't have any "info", just a hunch which may or may not be right.

It's not down to the kit per sé. It's the combination of getting everything right at the right time. Just like when Randy bought the club after we all thought he'd walked away.

The VT messageboard has turned into one long episode of Dad's Army of late, with panic and calamity seemingly around every corner and several lines trying hard yet ultimately failing to raise a smile. It can't be THAT bad, surely? If you were an outsider reading the Kit Design thread and Transfer thread (which has had more sequels than Star Wars, and that was crap too) you'd be forgiven for thinking we've got no kits and half a squad and (a whole 3 days into this 62 day transfer window) will start the season playing naked 5-a-side at Stumps, leaving Villa Park as a smoldering memory of what used to be Aston Villa. Plainly that's nonsense, as a great many things are in football today, so I've had a little think and tried to make some sense where it appears there is, well, none. It's there to be shot down, but it's just a theory which may or may not prove correct. And at least it's a theory based mostly on facts and past experience rather than being based on the fact that it keeps raining this summer (the day it stops, the press conference will happen). So, here goes - we will be having a press conference where at least one, maybe several MAJOR players will be unveiled along with our new kit. Nothing new there, then. It's been said on the messageboard already. But let's look at the facts and make some sense as to why this is a credible theory. [*:06c2238558]Martin O'Neill is a very good football manager. Presumably, therefore, he knows how many players we need, and in which positions, in order to get us through the season. [*:06c2238558]Randy Lerner has lots and lots of money. More than everyone on VT put together. Including if Doug Ellis is a member. Well, he is a member, but not of VT. He wants to spend a portion of this on Aston Villa. [*:06c2238558]Richard FitzGerald is one of the world's leading CEOs. He has said that we're going to sign some top players this summer. He's trying to secure further major sponsorship alongside that which he has already secured with Nike. You don't do that by telling lies. [*:06c2238558]Nike (our new suppliers) are the world's biggest sporting goods manufacturer. They turn over around $15bn per year. That's more than adidas, Reebok and Puma combined. [*:06c2238558]As the world's leading sporting goods supplier, they have an excellent logistics system, allowing them to locate any order, anywhere in the world - on land, on the sea or in the air. They will also have people on hand in factories to monitor the status of every outstanding order. [*:06c2238558]Martin O'Neill wants to continue being known as a very good football manager. Randy Lerner wants to own a very successful football club. Richard FitzGerald wants to make Aston Villa into a desirable brand. Nike wants to sell lots of football shirts with the brand of Aston Villa on them. So take a minute to digest all of that... Thanks. Nike will know EXACTLY when Aston Villa shirts will be available in the shops. Home, away, the rumoured third kit. All of them. They will also have at least one of each of them, somewhere in their Hilversum campus, in order to do a "kit launch". You only need one of each and a player to go into each of those ones. Therefore, Nike could put an exact date on the kit launch now (except they haven't). They can choose exactly when they want it to be. They could have it tomorrow if they wanted. Because they already have some of the kits at their disposal. Whether they unveil it tomorrow, or Friday, or next week wont make any difference if Gareth Barry and John Carew are wearing them - Aston Villa's faithful fans will buy them as and when they become available. But if, when these kits were launched, they were being worn by John Carew, Gareth Barry, Wesley Sneijder, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Nigel Reo-Coker, Jermain Defoe... Well, then it'd be in all of the papers. And people would get excited, and see the new brand of Aston Villa, and would buy Nike shirts. Lots of them. And then everyone would think Martin O'Neill was still a good manager, that Randy Lerner was building a successful football club, that Richard FitzGerald was building a desirable brand and Nike... Well, they'd sell a shedload more football shirts. Cos that's what they know how to do. So don't fret. The kit's ready, the signings are being lined up (even if they haven't been talked about - that'd spoil the surprise) and it'll all come together as and when the time's right. Remember - this is Randy, and Bob Kain, and Charles C. Krulak we're talking about. The Americans are in town. Only this time they've brought their mates.

That's a tough one to call. It depends on the end date of the Hummel agreement, although I'd imagine that was "the end of the season". In terms of other merchandise I'd say that it will probably all land at the same time as the production timelines will be the same for all of the products. You can probably expect the product offering to keep growing right the way up to Christmas, though, as priority will have been given to some things with other stuff to follow later.

No problem!

Got the album off iTunes last week. Top drawer.

Don't you guys EVER get bored of all these arguments for which there are no proof? There's going to be no winner because people's minds won't be changed one way or another. We can't prove who MON has or hasn't tried to sign so just forget about it. Get back on topic or it gets locked until you've taken a chill pill.

Be nice please girls

He's played well in a badly managed Hamburg side. I'd sign him.

That's what certain people have been led to believe, too.

I like them, and I've got a good taste in music Saw them live at The Academy and was suitably impressed. And they're Brummies. You can find out more here - www.myspace.com/thetwang and here - www.thetwang.co.uk

A user has been banned for using this thread to display a distinct lack of intellect and manners. There were lots of posts in here about it deleted too. They'd have been better off as PMs to the Mods who would have been able to sort it out. Thanks to Richard for bringing it to my attention.

He can play right back and in midfield.

A few posts edited and deleted folks. We're making a concerted effort to keep the thread on track, and to help the General not have to trawl through lots of posts to find the "golden nuggets". Some posts had already been addressed (such as the question around standing areas - it's against the law), other posts weren't specific to the General. If a post in here sparks a thought around something you want to discuss, by all means start a new thread in the Villa Talk section. Thanks for your support and understanding.

Ferreira's a right back, Bouma left back so any comparison is futile anyway.

Just because I'm sooooo sick of this thread turning into a Spurs this, Villa that debate I've created a special Spurs thread in Off Topic. In future all you have to do is click this link and you'll be transported to a wonderful world of Seven Sisterhood. Thanks!

I agree with this - Defoe is a very good striker. Bent is not better, just different in style and with a different mix of abilities. The reason Spurs want him is because he'll able to play effectively with either Berbatov or Keane, whereas a Keane/Defoe partnership doesn't work that well, so when Berby is injured we're a bit stuffed. If Villa bid for Defoe and he signs for you (no real idea how likely that is) I reckon Villa fans - including the doubters - would end up being well pleased with the goal-scoring results. Dude, please try to keep this thread Villa related. I notice you've done your best there but as a Villa fan it can be irksome to keep reading about how you're certain Spurs going to sign every good English player ever. And even if you do - great! They'll all leave for a proper big club after a couple of good seasons anyway. Spurs players always do. Oh, and we've got a nice topic about Spurs' fantastic new kits in Off Topic. We'd all appreciate your thoughts in there...

And you claim i'm the "wind up"? Err well you are Sid, there is difference between joking around and winding up. Joking around?, no-one's laughing though Jez :oops: ENOUGH! Any more of this crap it's getting locked.

Blinkin' flip! If it's not talking about Spurs it's having a pop at each other. Let's keep this to what it's meant to be - a transfer thread. None of us can say whether we'll sign x, y or z player, or whether we wont. This time last year if the names Petrov and Carew had been put in this thread the same arguments would've broken out. Please just have a proper debate or say nothing at all. The season only just finished on Sunday and some of you are fighting like little brats in the school holidays already.

I'm getting tired of saying this now fellas.

Keep it on topic chaps - ta!