Young signs and no change in kit maker
Tuesday, 23 January 07, 01:04 PM · Comments (15)
Ashley Young has signed on the dotted line and Aston Villa Football Club have also confirmed that there are no plans to change the kit manufacturer.
The Young deal is good business and represents a clear determination on the part of the board to back the manager. It's also a clear indication that Martin O'Neill is planning long term.
Young has only ever played for Watford, hardly surprising considering his age but in those 83 starts he has scored 22 goals. He plays on the left wing, which suggests Barry will be playing on the left side of centre in a five man midfield with new signing John Carew up front.
Everyone I've spoken to is delighted with the two signings this week and rumour has it there might be one or two more before the deadline comes to an end.
Talking to the official site Young was very positive of the manager and squad of players.
I've met the manager before and the way he came across in our talks made him someone I wanted to play for. He has real enthusiasm and he gets the best out of his players. Hopefully he can do the same for me. There's a lot of ability here and a good mix. We've got a lot of young players who have done well, but some experience as well. I just want to get in and gel with the boys. I already know Gabby Agbonlahor from when he came on loan to Watford last year and we've been away together with the England Under-21s as well, so we've got a good understanding already. Gabby's done well this season and quite a few players have come through the Villa Academy, so this is clearly a good place to be for younger players. - Ashley Young
Further news in from the club in relation to our earlier article about Nike. We didn't expect to get a response from Head of Media Phil Mepham but we did. We wanted to know about the rumours surrounding Nike.
I?m aware there was a story over the weekend about a change to our kit supplier but this was a purely speculative piece. As you?re obviously aware, Hummel are our existing supplier and there is no news on a change to this arrangement at present. - Phil Mepham
While we have to take on board what he is saying we've also got to factor in the emails we've had in and one of them has confirmed that discussions have taken place. Another one also claims that two bids have been rejected. That and Nike are now not returning calls and are never available makes me think there is something, but we'll just have to wait and see.
All in all a good week so far. John Carew and Ashley Young will both probably start against Newcastle and we may even see a return of Luke Moore. Petrov has signalled his intent to stay at the club after having a few days off with his wife to settle in and hopefully another signing or two.
Roll on the Randylution. Everyone else feeling a little confident at the moment?
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15 Comments · Add yours
Sounds good!
I can see a great partnership between Young and Carew. The norwegian brings big game experience... just right for europe if we make it!!!
OMG!!
Oh the joy, the ecstasy, these are exiting times! Young, Carew and even wotshisname on loan! The Randylution is well and truly here!! Let's av'it!
But can someone explain why on earth there is this inexplicable desire to have our beautiful Claret & Blue stained with the 'magic' tick?
Overpriced crap made in Indonesian sweat shops is good enough for the mentality of ManUre and Arsenal (inhabitants of the Al-Queeda Stadium), but not for our club thanks.
Let's hope it's Lonsdale of LONDON, ENGLAND.
PS: Aren't Reebok owned by Adidas now?
please please be nike!!! we wud actually look gd on the pitch for once. our kit maker is hideous and all the shirts look 3 times too big lol. guys considerin the likes of man u arsenal and barcelona are wearin nike im sure it wont do harm. plus shirt sales wud go up everywhere
Barcalona can afford to wear Nike kits when they have Unicef emblazened across their shirts. Bit of a moral contradiction, but i spose they're trying to balance good and evil!
And I can't see us selling more shirts just cos they're Nike, I mean, who to? Baggies fans, Dingles, cricket fans, Hoodies, Posh & becks?
The only way to sell more shirts is success on the pitch, to get into that top 4 and stay there. Then all the plastic glory hunters will snap up the shirt regardless of who makes it.
UP THAT VILLA!!
yeah by all means a good player, but left wing ? so barry drops to left back ? or we playing a 451, if so then we have extra strikers Angel, Sutton, Moore, Gabby with Carew?
surely we need a Right Winger, or are we trying to develop gabby into this ?
im at a loss on the formation we are going to play at present, im sure it will all become clear, but perhaps a 352 is in order (barry can track back to LB)
Bardsley, Mellberg, Larsson
Mccann
Gabby (*) Petrov Barry Young
Carew Angel
i think barry goes into the left side of a five man midfield if the manager wants to play five in midfield ... it all depends but young is a left winger and should be played in that position ... barry is no 'winger'
People want Nike because it is a symbol of quality unlike cheap 2nd rate Hummell.
Go in to a sports shop and compare the quality of Arsenal & Man Utd's strip to ours who gives a t*ss if its made in a sweat shop in the far east? get a life
MON used to play 3-5-2 Alot at celtic and i mean Alot so there is a possibility that he will use 3 at the back
i like the idea of 3 at the back .. how many teams do you see playing 4 up front? why have 4 defenders if you're only playing against 2 up front?
as for nike, hummel, adidas or anyone else ... why not our own brand? our own brand made not in the far east but somewhere in england ... why does making a football shirt have to be all about the money?
only an idea ... maybe we should start a forum for discussion .. but for now. use this
Oh this looks good, 4-3-3 (just how we started the season): -
Carew
Young Agbonlahor
Barry(C) Petrov
McCann
Bouma Cahill Mellberg Bardsley
Sorensen
its got to be
sorensen
bardsley mellberg laursen Bouma
mccann
barry
petrov
agbonlahor young
carew
that should see us right up the league
Can you read your earlier rumour article and then explain your sudden change of heart? I thought the Young approach was a good move and I agree with this article but the one you wrote after we thought he was moving 17 miles down the road just read like 'sour grapes'
LINK
I had a little look at the rumour round up you mentioned and I said, and I'll quote now, 'Well today it looks like Watford's Ashley Young is travelling the 17 miles South to London instead of the 89 miles North to Birmingham and for the reported £10mn. it took I say let them have him.'
There is a big difference between the £8mn. Villa paid and the £10mn. Okay, if he does well, plays for England etc. it will rise to £9.65 but still if he does that well I'll be proven wrong and £10mn would have been cheap.
Call it sour grapes if you wish, I call it not getting involved in Dutch auction.
I think you are being unfair in your response. The article was overall quite negative towards young. I am not saying that you dont rate him but if spurs had got him for 8 million add ons you would still have said the same thing. The rest of your article reflects this. Anyway, I'm not here to icker! Just felt you had changed your story. Lets hope spurs would have had a bargain even at 10million and lets hope he tears the geordies apart.
"Young might be a good prospect but he's not worth £10mn if Baros is only going to Lyon for the rumoured £5mn. If that rumour turns out to be true Young is worth £1.5mn.; let the London teams waste money.
Villa are believed to have put in a bid of £6.9mn for Young and for that I think they could probably get Shaun Maloney from Celtic and he's a far better prospect."