Dave1380 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 General I want to post an obervation rather than a question. The reality is we are all disappointed with the way the season is finishing - the fans, the board, the team and the management team. I more than most have felt a little disillusioned over the past couple of weeks, I have followed the team to all but two games this season home and away and was convinced 6 weeks ago that I would be going to the Nou Camp or the San Siro next season to support the team in the Champions League, and like you say it isn't over yet so however remote the chance it could still happen!! My point is - when you sit back and look at how far we have come this season, and the previous two before it, you have to say we are definately on the up. When all the emotion has gone, I am sure we will all be pleased with the way things have gone on the whole. Also, perhaps there is another way to look at all of this - we finished 6th last season and if we finished 5th this season we have improved by one league place. So, if we continue this rate of improvement we'll be Champions in 4 years time and we'd all be happy as Larry the Lamb!!!! So, please pass my gratitude on to everyone at VP!! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Hi General, I would like to offer a different point of view to that of paulanddonya. First of all i'm sure that most fans realise how difficult the premier league is and understand that there are a few clubs with a similar agenda to ourselves. There is no guaranteed way of getting success and i see no reason why we as fans should demand or expect to be easily ahead of our main competition. We have a an owner who will back the manager and a well respected manager who has already made huge progress with the team he inherited. The way i see it is when MON took over we were behind the likes of everton, newcastle and spurs who are 3 clubs with similar ambitions to ours. Currently we are ahead of all of them. We don't have a divine right to be there but we are because the important people at the club are good at their jobs and they're are doing them well. It's clear a section of villa fans want instant success, i just hope the board aren't the same and the manager is given the chance to build a successful team. It clearly takes longer than 3 years to take a team from 16th to one that can challenge the big 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1968 Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 General, How close are we to revealing the future development plans for the stadium. Would be nice to see them before the end of the season ,if the season does fizzzle away would be nice to end on a positive note . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa_shere Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 General A big thank you and congratulations to the club for recognizing the celebration of Vaisakhi, it is a massive gesture by the club to come out wearing t-shirts saying "happy vaisakhi" and very heart warming. Oh and a cheeky question, would it be possible to get a copy of one of the "happy Vaisakhi" shirts the lads were warming up in against hammers. I know a few people who would pay an arm and a leg to get hold of one. Keep up the fantastic work Villa Shere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maradona10 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I've already asked that cheeky question Villa Shere! Plus with the Vaisakhi Mela's happening in the coming weeks it'll be good to wear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerbob Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hi General Did you miss my comments concerning service and hygiene in the DE stand and I await your comments with interest including when we can expect a visit by yourself or one of your fellow board members to see what goes on in the refreshment areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa_shere Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I've already asked that cheeky question Villa Shere! Plus with the Vaisakhi Mela's happening in the coming weeks it'll be good to wear! Opps! i should have read the previous posts, nonetheless I and many others would love to get my hands on one of those t-shirts. So if the General could point us in the direction of the guy who organized the gesture then we could get the ball rolling from there maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. Vaisakhi shirts: I don't think we have many left over but....contact Lee Preece at AVFC and he should be able to help if he can. 2. Sanitation, urinals, doors: I got it!! Some are "easy fixes"...others are not so easy. 3. Paulanddonya: I read your post thoroughly and appreciate the thought that you put into it. I know you...and I know the passion you feel for our Club. So my comments are provided with the same sense of professionalism and passion that you put into your comments. At the end of the day, I am not sure I would totally agree that "Laursen, Barry and Gabby" are the ones who have "done the most" to put us where we are. They are certainly stalwarts of the Squad but I would venture to say that others, Young, Bouma, Petrov, etc. etc. etc. have played a role too. In fact, each of our Lads have come up big in some critical games. My point is that I don't agree that MON has just thrown away money and transfer opportunities. Secondly, you will never see me trying to separate what Randy has done, what the Board has done, and what MON has done. We are in this together and do not want to be looked at as separate entities. Yes, each of us has our own area of concentration but we really are a "Family" and we sink or swim as a "Family." We are in the 3rd year of a 5 year plan...my sense is that we are pretty much on track. The Plan is NOT just about what happens on the Pitch...it is a wholistic view of YOUR Club and its relationship to the Premier League, the Community and the Fans. It is HARD work and takes a good deal of effort by people at Bodymoor Heath as well as at Villa Park. Measure us by the full "body of work" ...because, at the end of the day, that is what the ethos of Aston Villa Football Club is all about. 3. Big_John_10: I think I have tried to say what you said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salsa Party Animal Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I would like to suggest we get all new signing and transfer activity done before pre season training start to make sure we have everyone prepared and hopely settled before season start. It would be better than leaving it to late August. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis_B Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 General there is a thread in off topic about the ridiculous idea that Gartside at Bolton is seeking to air tomorrow at a Chairmans meeting.... Premier League 2 to include two small teams from north of Hadrians Wall. I am surprised there hasn't been more of an outcry on here given the explosion concerning 'game 39' Can you offer any idea what the clubs views are about this or at least promise to keep us informed? My view is bring it in and I will have to seriously consider spending my leisure time in Billesley Common watching Moseley Rugby CLub, this would be one step too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerlad Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 General, Does the club have anything planned to celebrate St Georges day ? If not I wonder why we celebrate certain Religious festivals and not others and also not the Engliash national day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamlander Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 General, Just signed up to say a couple of things...first up, the sucking up I think that the service you offer us here is something that every other Premier League Clubs fans wish they had. You are a legend for putting time and effort into this. Randy Lerner is the best thing to have happened to this club sinceGraham Taylor bought a man with no cartilage in his knees to the club and he became the greatest ever Villan to don the jersey. I also am 95% behind Martin as our manager because I think it is impossible for a fan to be 100% behind any manager in the world...everyone from Ferguson to Wenger to Capello is questioned by his teams fans when he makes certain decisions and if I said I was 100% behind MON, as a fan, I would be a total liar. He does things that make me rip my hair out, but he had the stones to splash out on Young and Milner. He has helped Gabby come on no end as a footballer. He is also very entertaining and clearly very passionate as well as being talented if stubborn, but he is still the right man for our club. Anyway, the point of my message, please pass on my best wishes to Martin Laursen. Whatever decision he makes, and I fear the worst, the man has been the heartbeat of our team every time he has been on the pitch. Inspirational beyond belief. A player that defenders and forwards alike feared coming up against because of his aerial prowess and, for my money, the best player in our squad when he was fit. Absolutely devastated at this latest news. Thanks General Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenjos Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Hi General. I did post a few days back about this but it seems to be missed in the other messages. When we got to time added an we keep the clock running so we have an idea of how long is left? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 General, How on earth are we going to replace Martin Laursen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USAvillian Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 General, I was researching your career online and found this quote. As a teacher, I just wanted to thank you for saying this on the Jim Lehrer News Hour back when you were about to retire from the Corps: Well, let me tell you, those kids are the lifeblood of this nation, and yet probably the poorest people around is the secondary school teacher, and as soon as this nation wakes up to the fact that we need to start paying what I call the doctors of education-- that's the schoolteacher-- a sufficient amount of money to do the job, the better off we're going to be. We lose many good teachers because they can't make ends meet and see others working less for more pay. Generally, a teacher could get an Associate's Degree at a community college and make the same or more money. It's nice to hear a respected military man such as yourself say something like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanddonya Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 General Thanks for the response. God I hope you are right. The fact you say yr 3, 5 yr plan, gives me heart as, you haven't let us down yet, you have never given any reason to doubt, so if you believe we are "on track" then without knowing any of the details, yr 4 and 5, on paper at least, should be a very exciting time. Lets just hope it converts to grass !. Reason for post - Martin Laursen. It seems from his comments about announcing his decision next week, that he will be retiring (as, if he wasn't , why would he announce 3 weeks before the end of the season, surely he'd give himself the summer to see how the healing is going.). So its a sad day for him and us. To me, he will never be Paul McGrath, McGrath was genius, imagine Martin in his truly best games, double that, imagine that every week for about 6 yrs and put in knees that would make Laursens look as hard as diamonds - and that was God. However, he is probably the classiest defender we have had since (and maybe for a while before) and I truly hope he does not leave the club. He could teach the likes of Davies so much - Personally, I hope he stays, we help him with his badges, and he becomes defensive coach. Is there any chance of this happening, or is it just a fairy tale ? And it goes without saying, and he knows, how much the fans love him, but it won't harm to remind him of that - If he does announce it, I would like him on the pitch against Hull to show my appreciation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heystally! Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Hi General, If Martin Laursen is going to announce his retirement from football next week, please wish him well from all Villa fans. He has been an absolute Lion when he has played in the past four years, and I think it is quite obvious that him being out of the team and our recent poor form is no coincidence. I would absolutely love to see him stay on at Villa in some form of coaching capacity. I don't believe it is his defensive teaching which could be useful so much, although he is by far and away our best defender since McGrath, but more his ability to inspire and instill some leadership within our defence ranks would be extremely useful. Since not playing, we have lacked someone who can make decisive decisions and really lead from the back, and I really believe having Martin around the training ground would help our defensive line become mentally stronger, which is key to getting to and staying at the top of the game. But whatever happens, please pass on my best wishes, and I hope he'll be there at VP on the last day of the season to parade around the ground with the rest of the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yuen_Biao Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 General, I too echo the sentiments regarding Laursen, it will be such a shame if he has to retire. I and many others would dearly love to see him take up a staff role as a defensive coach as his experience of the game is invaluable. General make it happen, please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coops_AVFC Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Afternoon General. With the Draft tomorrow I was hoping to get your thoughts, as a fan, on who you would like to see the Browns and the Redskins choose in the 1st round? The rumours of the 'Skins trading up for Sanchez sounds like good business, but puts an immediate question mark over Campbell's future as the starting QB which is a shame as I think there's still alot more to come from him. Thanks General, and keep up the great work you do for the club and for the fans, most appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedge Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 General, Do you know how many tickets for tomorrows game we have sold? Every time I ring the ticket office to ask I get a different figure! Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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