Guardian: For the American billionaires who have viewed English football as an attractive investment, the course of club ownership has not run altogether smoothly. The Florida-based Glazer family, who bought Manchester United in June 2005, remain mostly reviled by United fans and seen as remote, interested only in making money. Tom Hicks and George Gillett have moved from heroes to zeros among Liverpool supporters after public relations howlers and the recent revelation that they, like the Glazers, are saddling the club with the borrowings they took out to buy it in the first place. At Aston Villa, cutting a happier figure, is Randy Lerner. He too is a Forbes List magnate, having inherited the MBNA credit card fortune from his father, Alfred, along with the Cleveland Browns football franchise. But Lerner has become respected, even a little loved, by Villa supporters for his restoration of the venerable Birmingham club, which he bought for £66.2m in August 2006. In January, Lerner extended his philanthropy to the arts, with a £5m gift from his family's charitable foundation to the National Portrait Gallery, its biggest ever private donation. Lerner, it emerged, has long been interested in art, which Sandy Nairne, the gallery's director, sees as complementary to the American's passion for English football. "I went to Aston Villa's match at Arsenal with Randy, along with several artists," said Nairne, "and it was fascinating to see him holding conversations about football, interleaved with discussing figurative and abstract painting. "He is very interested in artists' creative processes, and he appears similarly fascinated by how the footballers hone their abilities, respond to the manager, Martin O'Neill, and develop their performances."

Times: Martin O'Neill has challenged John Carew to score 20 goals a season. "To see John up to the nine-goal mark is great," the manager said. "He's a nightmare for defenders. I think he's a miles better player than he thinks he is himself."

Sporting Life: Martin O'Neill believes Aston Villa striker John Carew has the capabilities to become a 20-goals-a-season player. The Norway international is Villa's leading scorer with nine goals so far this season, despite a two-month lay-off with a knee problem earlier in the season. O'Neill is confident the former Lyon player can hit the target on an even more consistent bass. "To see John up to the nine-goal mark is great - and there's no reason why he shouldn't go on to become a 20-goals-a-season man," said the Villa boss. "John had a knee injury earlier in the season, and to be a 20-goals-a-season marksman you have to play the requisite number of games. "But he should be able to do that and also reach that number of goals, no doubt at all. "That's the sort of thing I'm looking for from him, and I think he's a miles better player than he thinks he is himself."

Independent: Craig Gardner said manager Martin O'Neill has fostered a sense of unity in the Villa Park squad. "We are a close unit and we're in it for each other," he said. "We might not be as showy as some teams, but inside the dressing room and on the pitch we're there for each other. That's what the gaffer has instilled."

Sky Sports: Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has set John Carew a 20-goal target and believes the striker can become one of the best in Europe. Carew, Villa's leading scorer, has netted nine times this season despite missing two months of the campaign with a knee injury. The Norwegian international's goals have helped fire Villa - who sit sixth in the Premier League - into contention for a place in Europe next season, but O'Neill believes Carew can improve. "To see John up to the nine-goal mark is great - and there's no reason why he shouldn't go on to become a 20-goals-a-season man," said the Villa boss.

Coverage From Abroad

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