Fuse

Each to their own obviously but I personally couldn't support any other team other than Villa. I would ask how you know your support will be anymore appreciated down at Walsall? I haven't seen Bonser spending millions on the club lately and I am sure their ticket prices will have risen at some point in the last year or so.

this thread is for Questions for the General, not other supporters. use pms for that - thanks, Blandy

General,

MON has had to deny press reports that he is using Gareth Barry to try and convince Randy to release funds in the summer. Are you aware of how in the last two weeks our local press have done nothing but try to undermine everything we are doing? Have we fell out with them and who is responsible for PR at the club because apart from the great relationship we have through yourself the relationship with the press in general seems very bad.

Have MON and Randy fell out with each other or are the press wrong?

If the latter can this be nipped in the bud as we do not need to see nothing but negative headlines in the local press.

Very reasonable pricing for the new season so well done AGAIN to Randy.

Will the club be offering the easy payment schemes as per last season?

Great post TV and sums up how I am feeling right now and how, like you, I was feeling a little over two years ago.

I felt it against Chelsea at home that something was beginning to happen at Villa and again on Sunday I felt it again only bigger. There is a belief about the place that we are entering into a golden era.

General,

Have we had a fall-out with the council? I am intrigued like others as to why our neighbours across at Small Heath are not being put under pressure too? They have even banned us from selling hot spuds as well!!

Are you also aware that small heath are in talks with the council about the council building a new 55000 seater stadium and giving it to them for nothing.

Is the council run by noses?

He is a diving cheating bastard. Does that tell you how I might have voted?

I agree about his England performances too. Him, Lampard, Rooney, Ferdinand are all too busy worrying about CL and have been shit for England for too long. I never get why Beckham gets slagged by the press as he runs his bollocks off for England, not like these clearings in the woods.

General Krulak here:

1. Yes, we will see the Youth Team and the Cup.

2. I loved being a Marine AND I love being a Villan!! Both give a great sense of satisfaction even when things are not totally going right.

3. I am not sure why the Holte closed so quickly....I will ask Alison to answer that one for me. She reads this thread daily as does Nicky Keye...and if they miss a day, one will contact the other.

4. YES, we want to compete with the likes of ManU. Obviously, that doesn't take place during one transfer window.

5. Paulthevillan: Huh????? What are you asking lad??

General,

Thank you for responding to the question. I agree it would not take place in one window (Man Utd didn't but Rooney et al in one go) but it is very pleasing to hear you confirm that the board want to compete with them.

General,

I have a question regarding the boards aim for the club. You mention that Randy Will support MON in the summer but to what degree? You acknowledge that we were beaten again by Man utd and that we need to get their strength and depth of squad but they had about 6 players on the pitch on Saturday that cost more than £12m and 3 costing more than £20m. Coupled with the fact that they pay wages in excess of £100k per week and this adds up to astronomical amounts of money.

Can you tell me if the 'support' Randy will provide is aimed at moving us towards a squad that CAN compete on an equal playing field with Man Utd?

Firstly thanks Blandy for taking the time to write the article. Whether you agree/like what Blandy has written you should not slag himas he has taken the time to do it in the first place.

Secondly it sums it up for me perfectly and asks that really tough question that we would all like th answer to. Do we have the have what it takes to REALLY go and compete with Man Utd? I think we don;t but I also think you will never have that admitted by the board as they know deep down if they came out publicly that the crowds would invariably drop.

It is a sad indictment that we have fallen so far in the last 15 years. When the Prem started we were the equal of Man Utd.

The fact that the General has come out and said what he has given what went on last season with Firtzgerald makes me believe that MON has whatever money he needs available to him.

Getting into europe will mean we will get more for our money as we won;t have to pay silly wages to attract players here. This I think is why MON has not spent big yet as he has wanted players to want to come here for the right reasons and to be able to go for the best players.

General Krulak here:

1. As you all know, the quotes in the media were taken from comments made by Randy in October. BUT, his feelings towards English Football...its history, its traditions, its ethos, the value of the fans...do NOT evaporate over a 4 month period. I remind everyone how this all started...a request to "explore". 20 Teams said "yes, go ahead and explore"...that does NOT mean agreement for the idea. Randy's comments 4 months ago are as germane today as they were then. At NO time did AVFC "agree in principle" to this scheme...at NO time. As I have said before, trust Randy.

General,

I saw the SKY interview with Scudamore and can see he is rattled.

I trust Randy will do the right thing.

General,

Thank you for passing on our comments re the 39th game and thank Randy for coming out and saying what he has said.

Page 291 of this thread is very interesting reading as it talks of this very subject. In fact one of our posters Legendary_10 actually more or less predicts exactly what is being proposed (are you that parasite Scudamore??)

Interesting that Ian Robo was so convinced about Randy.

General Krulak here:

1. Honest to goodness, this is simply not one to start a "moan" thread on!! Come on gang...NO ONE is saying yes to anything because NOTHING has been proposed. Obviously the League understands better than anyone that the integrity of the Premiership and the scoring and the tables and the fans are CRITICAL!!! I can assure you that Randy understands. I cannot believe that the League hasn't "explored" other things that have NOT come to fruition. Please do not make this the latest furor and uproar...because I can promise you, I will not play! The League is not going to play "Sepuku" with its reputation, its integrity, or how and when the standings are finally established.

General,

Richard Scudamore of the Prem League has just been interviewed on SKY and he is convinced this is going to go ahead. SO if the Chief Exec of the Prem is convinced what are we to believe? As for 'us fans' not making this the latest uproar and you threatening to not play I think that goes against your 'thick and thin' comment on communication. Frankly if we can't communicate on something as big a subject as this then we are not getting the full benefit of having you here.

I am astonished that you don't understand why we would make a big deal of this, no matter if it is at exploration stage or not.

4th Liverpool

5th Everton

6th West Ham

7th Portsmouth

8th VILLA

I can't see us not getting injuries/losing form with a key players so we will have a bad run.

General

Imo the transfer window was a HUGE disappointment for Villa fans. We all know the squad needed strengthening and we were unable to do so.

Can you tell me if the board will be carrying out a full review of our transfer window strategy and its effectiveness during January? I'm concerned that one man, MON, seems to have the responsibility of all aspects of our transfers on top of all his other day to day duties.

General,

A lot of fans share the same concerns. Especially when it is reported that MON has attended a work permit hearing on the last day of the transfer window. A job that would have been performed admirably by the likes of Steve Stride in the past.

I know this may seem a null point but who does what at Villa Park when it comes to adminsitration especially transfers? In the past we would have known that the work permit was a waste of time. Why not now?

General,

I know you don't comment on exact transfers etc as it's all up to the manager but I think Villa fans deserve an answer to this question.

Is the lack of strengthening the AVFC squad down to:

a) Lack of funds.

Failure to identify available players at the right price

General,

I too would like your thoughts on John's questions please.

Many thanks

Thanks for the report and I agree with the ratings as they are just as I saw them.

My first look at this group and they are a different level altogether to the cup winning team from a few years ago. The front 6 were fantastic and Delfouneso is, as described, the model striker. I seriously think he could be making his debut within 12 months, he is that good.

This lot will win this cup.

Can anyone remember who broke the news of our interest in Carew/Young etc? Am I right in thinking the Carew one came from our friend The Trees who told us he was on a flight into Bham?

I'm just wondering which parts of the media we should be focusing on or whether we are just as likely to hear about something on here first before it gets confirmed/credibility in the media.

I think we may well end up with nothing, which would be really disappointing as I think it will cost us getting into Europe.

Has to be No1. If not then my next choice would be 2.

3 is something the scousers do so we would be accused of ripping them off and as others have said will need changing every year

4 has to be a joke?

General,

I had a go regarding the Man Utd tickets so it is only right that I say well done for the ticket scheme for the council workers (I'm not one). Hopefully it will attract some new supporters and/or some lapsed supporters to Villa Park.

Are you and/or Randy over for the game on Saturday?

General Krulak here:

1. I give up on this one. I have said, in as many ways that I can possibly say it, my thoughts on this issue. I have read pages on this topic...on this thread and 4 others. I have heard people say that this was a chance for Randy to "give something back to the season ticket holders"...that we were gouging the fans...etc. etc. As everyone on this site MUST ACKNOWLEDGE, when I think we have screwed up or not done the "right" thing, I am the first to say so and to apologize. This one has been taken way too far. If you as the Fans truly believe that Randy, the Board and the Club charged too much for the game...so be it. At the same time, what if the score had been 2-nil Villa and you had been there, in your seat, to see it? How much would you have paid to see it? We didn't go inot the game to lose...or to have 2 goals against in 10 minutes. We went into win...in a game between Aston Villa Football Club and Manchester United. It was an "A" game in every respect. If I sound a tad frustrated, I am. You have an owner who cares about the Club and the fans more than probably any owner in the Premiership and I find myself wading through pages on this issue. I have said my last on this one.

General

I disagree about this been taken way too far. It is a subject that people were passionate about when the pricing was announced for the game. You yourself when you first came that communication both good and bad must take place. On this occasion some of it is not good for you and I think the club has made a big error on the pricing for THIS game. I can acknowledge that Randy is great and that he cares but that doesn;t stop me having the right to criticize when I think things are wrong. If it does then I don;t buy into it.

And in case you were wondering I did go to the game.

Answered elsewhere, thank you.

General,

If as expected the crowd for today's game struggles to get over the 30k mark will the club admit they got the pricing for this game terribly wrong? Or if this is down to Man Utd refusing to allow us to reduce prices will you do the honourable thing of making this public so that they get the bad publicity they deserve?