PauloBarnesi

Villa have bid £7m for NRC according to the BBC

He'll have a chance to be the best player we've ever signed

Thats an interesting quote there Dave.

Does anyone think that this summer we will sign the best player we have ever signed (not necessarily Wes but any as yet unnamed player)

In modern times maybe.

define modern.

If (and its highly likely) that Tevez and Reo C leave West Ham will they be such a draw?

Is that his own money? It seems a company called the Sellar property company are involved; I suspect they will put up most of the money.

[ Portsmouth now also have a wealthy owner, so it doesn't seem very likely.

This is the wealthy owner who spent £5.5 million in the summer? I have serious reservations that this guy is as rich as people make out.

Several things to answer;

‘no one cared today’; well of course they didn’t, it would churlish and silly to think that this is more important than three points. But thats not to say its not important. If identities/logos/crests weren’t you would wonder why that so many big brands care so much about them. Its a reflection of the company, and this crest would certainly not reflect as good as Villa could be.

To the next; what are we going to do? Nothing, bar complain in these forums (that the club will read and hope take note). I don’t actually believe the club will or would change it. Why? Because if they could see the problems they wouldn’t have done it in the beginning (in my opinion).

To LMs points. I don’t think its going to change. To its importance; We live in a modern visual culture, where everyone makes judgements on what they see. I fear that something that is as poor reflects badly on us. Maybe its the 0.01% of how the club performs; maybe its the way that somebody in some far away place picks a club or a sponsor invests in the club. Its not like they say ‘I will do it based upon the crest’, but its a subliminal influence on them. We have to be the best we can.

Dear General

As you may or maynot know the videos on AVFC.co.uk are copyright protected. I would love to get this but as a Mac user it doesn’t work. We maybe a minorirty, but a sizeable one. Please help!

Cheers

Yes, an excellent article indeed.

But (excuse me) - does it matter?

I believe a good majority are reasonably happy with the design, and if not, they seem to accept what's put before them. I think that when it's seen on the shirts (from a spectator's distance, in particular) it will be outstanding.

An expert in a subject will - understandably - always have a view on the matter, but I don't believe that any design is perfect.

Yes it does matter. Its not as good as it could be; its not a matter of taste, but of actual craft and that I find so strange that the club couldn’t come up with something better.

I ve said that the idea of committe led design rarely leads to success, and if even a good majority seem to be reasonably happy, I still believe we could have done much better. I am sure they would have been happier that was better done.

A great article Paul, I'll even let you off the constant use of 'there' instead of 'their'! (I'll put it down to the Guardian influence rubbing off on you!)

It is quite noticeable that nearly all of the designers on here have pulled it to bits. I'd be interested in your view on the new Spurs badge which I think is excellent, and is everything our isn't, ie it combines the traditional aspects of the badge in a modern design, and just looks really well put together.

Its funny our badge was designed I believe by the same people.

Isn't it great to have something to moan again. I wonder what you lot would have said if they hadn't consulted the "stakeholders"

Its not a moan for moans sake. Its because I don’t think its very good, and explained my reasoning. When we see a player play badly we generally moan, don’t we? I ve also questioned the whole process of consultancy as something hasn’t done us any favours. Remember the club down the road; well there badge was the result of consultancy and getting a fan with no qualification to design it; and what do we think of that?

I would bet money mon was there to watch milner last night,I wouldn`t be suprised if we went back in for him.

I think that's the most likely scenario.

Its a Monday night. Its the only game on. Its an hours drive from his home. MON decides to take in a game. Probably nothing more than that.

I don’t agree that Kallstrom would be better in Barry; and when people complain about slow; Kallstrom is even slower than Barry.

They didn’t sign him because West Ham wouldn’t sell him; the cause of one of the longest sulks ever recorded

I think he looks like the star in a team in someone like Wigan and Fulham. We need to have players who will be stars for teams at the top IMO

As a squad player? We're not going to have a team full of 'stars' for many many years IMO.

Look at Chelsea (pre-Abramovich) and Spurs, when they suddenly became exciting and "big" in many people's eyes. Buying players like Vialli and Davids is clever. Stars who are on the brink of their careers. Sure, they won't last for 8 years but they will last for 2-3. What about Fab Ravanelli to Boro? What about Juninho to Boro? Arguably a crappier club than us at the time. What about Djorkaeff who was still a big player although up in the years, and what about Owen/Duff to Newcastle? What about Woodgate to Boro last season when they were really crap? And how about Tevez/Mascherano to WH?

To put it out simple, we are more than able to sign big players as long as we show the proper ambition and put the right monies on the table.

A lot of those teams did **** awful! I would rather have a Steve Sidwell now than a washed up has been on big money here for one last pay day such as Mr Ginola and his £42000pw, brink of his career. And he was shit!

I am hoping that we will try to sign one or two players in the summer who are genuinely much better than anything we have. I think that would make us a much better team. Now whether they are old or young I am not bothered, if MON can get the best out of them. I just don’t see players like Koumas, Bullard or even Sidwell being this kind of jump. If it costs a pretty penny then so be it; a big signing will excite the fans and excite the team. We need to make the big step, everything is else is in place.

I think also great players will be what are young stars need. I believe that why our young stars often don’t make it is that they are often surrounded by mediocre. What the hell could Gardener learn from Djemba Djemba or Hendrie?

He wants to live in London plus I think he looks like the star in a team in someone like Wigan and Fulham. We need to have players who will be stars for teams at the top IMO

The London Lite is to the metro what the Sun is to the Times. Still, I can't imagine them running a story without a grain of truth in it. The one thing I will ask PB is why the hell he accepted one? It is a celebrity gossip paper you big girl!

I love a freebie. Just ask NV!

London Lite reporting that Sidwell is now going to join Villa with wages of £27K as we can ‘guarantee’ him first class football.

I met Mikael in Sweden; he wasn’t impressed when I declared I was a fan of Djurgården

I ve met Pete at quite a few games. I always forget what he looks like...

Al and I have been to a couple of games together, most notably the FA youth Cup where we first saw Gabby for the first time

Risso I met at a protest (a Villa one)

Mr Warner is a top bloke, I ve been over to sunny Germany and Stratford to hang out with him. Tip; never offer him a lift or talk about Cherno Samba with him

The Fear

Oh and Hookjaw

Dont think Jenas would leave London to be honest

Why not? He comes from Nottingham...

Jenas moved to London from Newcastle because it suited his lifestyle better, his private life was under far too much scrutiny in the "goldfish bowl" of Tyneside.

I'm not sure how Birmingham would compare in terms of offering him the personal privacy he craves, can anyone comment?

What is his lifestyle?

Dont think Jenas would leave London to be honest

Why not? He comes from Nottingham...

Who is David Bardsley?

A small point slightly off topic. Whatever the claret and blue are; they will appear differently on different materials. A tile will look different from material from a sign from printed material from a web colour. Its better that the C & B are matched on each material from a defined colour scheme by someone who knows what they are doing.

If Fulham go down, and IF he proves his fitness again I'd go for Jimmy Bullard

Good call. I'd forgot about him, started the season superbly.

Unfortunately I really can't see Fulham going down. Might be worth a bid anyway in the hope the new manager doesn't like him but I doubt that very much.

If Sanchez stays Davis and Healy will be his main targets. Is Bullard better than Davis?

GB for me. He just seems to get better and better.

Gabby.

He scored the first Villa goal for George. And there is nothing more amusing than a six year old singing ‘gabby ag-bon-lahor’ in the back of the car, and managing to pronounce his name better than most commentators...