MrBlack

Yeah, but that's hardly a negotiation that needs to" begin". It just happens. However, it was explained that the structure of the fee that meets the clause will need to be agreed, so guess that requires a level of negotiation.

Yes, maybe in the eyes of the general public. But in the eyes of the money of the world, big corporations, rival countries, etc... its seen as a country that hosted a world cup, in a very short turnaround, and was able to do so despite the logistical challenges. It's come out of it looking better than it went in to the people that matter to it.

I suspect it will end up being the best bit of business this whole window. The value over the course of his contract, and the ability to sell him in a few years time for pure FFP profit if that's what we want, is at its worst, great business. Alternatively he's become a world class midfielder that can push us on and we laugh at how are top 4 midfield cost us less than a Chukwuemeka.

I imagine uefa would be happy about this. Not blowing our own trumpet too much, but the risk of us knocking out one of the higher seeds would be one they'd be happy to avoid (without restoring to draw tampering). Also means a PL team definitely in the tournament. Would they be inclined to accept just a one year hiatus on exchange for all the dodgy things Juve have done though?

Fiorentina would be below us then? I'm not sure I follow the logic of it being a hint anyway. They are there, they're just in the wrong place, showing in QR2 page. Edit: they've corrected it also, now showing in the right place: https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaconferenceleague/clubs/

Those two posts make zero sense. Why would we be negotiating with Leeds if he has a clause in his contract? They're not going to accept any less than that, as its probably already below his actual value.

If the away one is similar to the background that was shown in the promo it could be very nice.

As long as he is leaving it doesn't matter. That connection with a club is a sign he cares. Let's get him into the villa family and loving us as much.

Looks like a cycling top

I think he's capable of playing DM for a PL team that doesn't get relegated. So if Luton sign him, they've done well. If they sign him for less than 5m they've done very well to get a player of his calibre. They won't get so lucky elsewhere on the pitch, but they'd be foolish if they don't meet our asking price on him... which I expect would be very reasonable considering his ability. You just know it will be one of those undisclosed transfers we never find out about.

I like the sound of that, a lot.

The interesting thing there was the bit about the badge, just after 12 mins in. They evolved that over a few years. What they ended up with is quite simple but recognisable and now pretty timeless. I think I'd accept a few years of evolution to end up with something that will work timelessly. I think the kit logo should be simple, just a lion, but we maintain a more formal looking full crest for formal purposes. Was he a fan of the 76ers? If so, it may be more difficult for him here as he has to learn the history, but I'm sure he'll pick up the key parts of it quickly enough. But if he wasn't a fan, it comes across as if he was in that video, so should be a pretty natural thing for him to repeat with us.

McGinn's signed up... what you waiting for Ollie?

Think I didn't come across clear. I was joking about how everyone ignored the part of the launch message that said they're going to judge the reaction before revisiting for the 150th year. Everyone's just assumed we have (or Heck has) no plan.

So you're suggesting that their statement was correct and we should have just taken it as written? That they will judge response and then, potentially, if its favourable, we'll see everything else updated to align in due course.

I think you should be proud. Since you've joined I've seen an infinite increase in the number of people using the phrase wishy washy. You've infiltrated the minds of VT in under 3 months.

Wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at this. Gerrard so nearly cost us McGinn, Watkins, and Luiz who'd have left us for peanuts.

Nice news to wash away the mess of yesterday. More good news to follow please Villa!

Never posted so many sad reactions in one day. Its all just a bit of a let down after an amazing season. The claret pipe, the shit sponsor that is given free reign to use two colours, the bus seat pattern... there's so much wrong, but fixing any one of those makes it so much better. It's amazing how many things they got wrong.

Annoying they let the sponsor go with the two tone logo on the home shirt. I'm sure they'd have accepted a single colour if we'd insisted, like they did on the GK kit and website logos

They did say the new badge would only be used on the kit...they just forgot to specify it was only the front of the kit. Easy mistake to make when you're not very good at kit releases.

I assume there is. He must see what works in the US but also in the UK, and feels this just won't. Whatever that looks like is for another thread, but he must have seen something major that needed to be overhauled, and it wasn't possible to accommodate with the kit already finished. Better to pause everything else (that he can control) and revise it all. He's got a record for smashing such a revamp in the US, let's hope its transferable.

It's the shoulder pads. Hide the top part of the kit and it then doesn't look any worse than the others. For me though, they all just look arbitrarily fussy and would be better plain. Even knowing our arbitrary pattern is a sound wave, it's overlaid in such a way to look bad.

Probably, and if he wanted the kit to be liked, he could have delayed kit launch a few days for the anger to blow over. It kind of already had from when it was first suggested under Purslow, it would have again quite quickly second time round. I think my last comment in my follow up post is the answer... he just wanted it all done and out in the open asap so he can get back to behind the scenes working to fix whatever the issues are that he sees with it all

Agreed, I am optimistic for what he will deliver, particularly given what he did at the 76ers... but he definitely could have prevented our kit sponsor being announced the same day as the kit was... if he wanted to. I think that would have been one less brush to tar the launch with so vigorously. Obviously, it would still have been brought up. Maybe he was doing a rip the plaster off in one go and get all the shit done and out the way ASAP, so he can move on. I'm not sure, but it certainly gives the impression of amateur, although I am fairly sure he himself isn't.