covcat Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Hi General, i ve jiust been on the Newcastle site to review their season ticket prices following a 9% reduction. Generally out stack up pretty well againstvtheirs but the only area I feel we could do more is for the 16-18 year olds. While years ago most chaps/girls of this age worked that is very rarely the case now and lots of clubs and other non football entrance prices reflect this i.e. classing juveniles as upto 18. I notice Newcastle have done this and this would surely help keep fans coming who sometimes have to miss a few seasons due to parents not been able to afford the increased prices and the kids themelves not earning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salsa Party Animal Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 If we win the UEFA Cup we will remember it for hundred of years and no one will remember about qualifying for Champions League by 4th. We have enough players to do both. If the players are too tired, I don't buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imavillan Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 General, For what its worth i'm ok with what Martin is doing, and i dont think everyone will be against it. We might not have a better chance than this to finish in the top four. After a ''bad week'' at the office, out of the FA Cup, defeat by Chelski and a Draw with Moscow, Martin has obviously taken stock and reprioritised. My guess is if we had not lost against Chelski the squad would have been different...... .....and we have not lost the tie yet....one goal will be enough... Keep the Faith...in Martin we Trust... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adbo9 Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 General In my opinion Martin ONeill is short changing the villa fans. Since day one the manager has harped on about european nights at Villa, now were there and getting them he is playin scratch teams for the competition. i cant personally understand the logic, he is prioritising the league competition and seeing Europe as a distraction, well what happens if we drop a few points and only manage to qualify for this competition again next season, is it going to be the same script? If it is the case I will certainly think twice about renewing my season ticket as, from a personal point of view, playing half a side in major competitions that we could possibly get silverware from is scandalous - unless that is MON himself wants to come and show me the trophy we receive for finishing 4th !!! yours annoyed AP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFoSho Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 General, Please ignore the fans that seem to have some obsessive craving for any old piece of silver we can lay our hands on. Give me MON's excellent progress here ahead of Spurs' Carling Cup final any day.Look at Middlesbrough, they reached the UEFA Cup final very recently and if I'm not mistaken they're 19th. I am hopeful that most of our fans will be aware of the benefits of Champions League qualification instead of a trip to Istanbul will bring, Barry staying, increased TV revenue and the ability to attract more players to name a few. I could not be more happy with what has happened in the last 3 seasons at VP and long may it continue, in fact to top it off, I think we will win in Moscow and have put money on just that. All of this negativity is just pent up pessimism from the ney-sayers that we have in our ranks that they haven't been able to vent because of the amazing form we have been in this season. Please remind MON just how much we love him. Yours delightedly, Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sellyoakvilla Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 General, Please ignore the fans that seem to have some obsessive craving for any old piece of silver we can lay our hands on Er, hang on a minute. Are we not allowed an opinion? Isn't the whole idea of a football club to win trophies? As a football fan you want your club to win everything. Now until I see the trophy for fourth place, I am not convinced. One more thing Gen - what's the situation with Guzan? Does he have to play a certain number of games to keep his permit? Why does Friedel need resting every cup or Uefa game? I understand that Guzan needs games incase of emergency but just wondering about the permit situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. I have read your comments re. the Moscow game...and have read MON's comments on the OS. I do not think I can say it better than MON has said it. I would recommend that each Fan go back to the official site and read, CAREFULLY, what Martin had to say. First off, he would not say that he is throwing in the towel. We can win the game. Are we putting out our "best" squad...MON was clear on that. I would ask that everyone read what Martin has to say because he did a very good job of articulating exactly where he sees our Club. As for squad size, I have said it over and over again, I am not in the transfer window business. What I will say is that MON is not going to go for numbers...he will go for players that he feels will work within his system. I continue to have total faith in MON and so does every member of the Board. 2. Adbo9: "I will certainly think twice about renewing my season ticket as, from a personal point of veiw, playing half a side in major competitions that we could possibly get silverware from is scandalous". I am terribly saddened to read this post...for it shows a remarkable lack of understanding of what we are trying to achieve. At the end of the day, we have to trust our Manager. If this means you don't renew your season ticket...I am sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-savman Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 It's ok General, I'm thinking about BUYING my first ever season ticket Swings and roundabouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NulliSecundus Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Thanks for the reply general. Whilst my personal opinion thinks we should go for the UEFA, I obviously respect why we are ultimately sacrificing in Russia. It's a tad annoying but I am looking beyond this season... I just feel sorry for the fans who have gone out there! Really appreciate having such a vital organ of the club coming on here and spending time reading our comments. And although I disagree on us not going for the UEFA... I will still be renewing my season ticket... especially considering thats what we are concentrating on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gort Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 What sort of attendance we expecting for the Stoke game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chads Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 General, Whilst you try to fend off criticism about the decisions another man has made, can i please extend my eternal gratification for what you, Randy and MON have done for our great club in recent years. The fact that fans can even expect to come on here and converse with you about such topics of debate is a truly unique part of the special relationship us fans now feel we have with our club. I could write a 2000 word essay about my appreciation for everything you have done, and not a week goes by where i'm not telling mates at uni all about everything you have done the team have done. It is quite clear that fans will always find something to moan about, and FWIW in this situation i can see where many are coming from. As you have said many times, you can't please everyone and one game at a time. When we win on Thursday, I look forward to your post! Thanks for everything General. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Baker Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Hi General, I can understand MON's reason's behind his squad selection for Moscow. I guess we have just become a victim of the modern game. Winning things no longer seems to be top of the agenda. We're not the first to take this approah, and we won't be the last. On a personal note though I feel a little bit short changed for the support I have given to every home game in the Eufa Cup campaign so far. The great nights that we all experienced against Ajax and last week against Moscow somehow seem to have lost some of their glory..Not sure why but not going for it in Moscow just makes them feel a little worthless now. On another note I was just wondering how Freddie Bouma is feeling after loosing near enough a whole season though injury sustained in a game trying to qualify for a competition we would loose interest in once we got to the knock out stages. I think the debate will run and run on this one..And it's true what they say "you can keep some of the people happy some of the time...but you can't keep all of the people happy all the time" I'll still be back in the Holte next season...But in all honesty a little dissillusioned about what I will want out of the season. All the best and keep up the awesome job you are doing for my club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted February 24, 2009 Administrator Share Posted February 24, 2009 I've deleted a large number of posts here tonight. Please follow the posting guidelines. No banter between posters. Questions and comments for the General only. If you want to discuss things, do so in another thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. First off, I am not sure that I am ready to wave the white flag and surrender. As a Marine Officer, I never went into battle thinking I was going to lose. Never! I feel the same way about the Villa. I am NOT prepared to concede the game in Moscow and I am NOT prepared to send the signal to our players going to Moscow that somehow they are 2nd class citizens. When they win on Thursday, I fully expect the same outcry of "mea culpa" from those who have bad-mouthed this decision. I don't see this decision by MON as something to be disillusioned about...I think he has been very clear, very concise and totally honest about what went into his decision-making process. We, as Fans, ought to be thankful that we have a Manager and a Club that goes to such an extent to let the Fans in on the thought-process of decisions made. You may not like the decision and that is your perogative but....think of what your Club is doing to keep fans informed. 2. Brad Guzan is playing to give him experience...simple as that. The day might well come when we need him badly and this decision will, at that time, be universally applauded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairdo Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hi General, Just like to start of with a simple Thank you for all that you and Mr Lerner Have done for our club My question is this, who do you think your browns team should draft this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hi General, I have to say that I understand both the fans and MON regarding the Moscow game. I would be pretty frustrated if I went all the way out their to see half a "first" team. However, I understand that, at the moment, we have to prioritize the league and try to secure a top 4 finish. My only hope is that the club is aiming for higher than 4th this season. I am hoping 2nd is the prize we are chasing, to guarantee group stage Champions League football next season. I would have said 1st (and wish we could finish top) but the realist in me sees Man Utd looking unbeatable at the moment. We can but try though and that's all the fans can hope for really! My concern with finishing 3rd/4th is the fact we will have a very tough qualifying game at the start of next season and this season's efforts could prove to have been in vain. I only hope that, in the summer, MON buys the extra quality we need to compete in all of the competitions we will be playing in next season. I understand he isn't looking for great numbers but I can only really accept that if he buys the neccessary quality we obviously lack at the moment. This has been shown in the defeats to QPR, Zilina and Hamburg. The fans can see it and so must MON. I trust the manager and believe that he sees what we see, as you often put it! Let's hope the lads can put on a great show for us tomorrow and leave Moscow with their heads held high! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerms Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hiya General,,, Not been around for a while,, just thought i'd chuck in my usual thanks for what you have done line,, some people seem to be forgetting the nightmare that was o'leary and ellis, what a difference in just a few years, it really is amazing. I wouldnt be surprised if a few clubs are using Villa as a blueprint on how to improve properly and not overnight !! We have progressed well in the uefa cup, but the squad simply isnt good enough yet to fight hard an a number of fronts, this is plain for all to see. So MON and Randy have had to choose which one to concentrate on, and if we all take off our silver tinted glasses the most sensible option is to go for that 4th/3rd place surely. It makes a lot of sense financially. Someone mentioned Middlesbrough earlier,, this should be shouted from the rooftops, they reached the final, and where are they now ?? I am sure MON started out the season wanting to win the uefa cup but our league performance has surprised him and he has simply changed his priorities. Splice The Main Brace !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted February 25, 2009 Author Moderator Share Posted February 25, 2009 As was said last night by Simon. Can we keep the thread to questions to The General please. The General has seen and commented on the UEFA cup squad and has mad his feelings on the subject. There is no need to keep going on about the same thing - cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubby Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 General, For what it's worth I am in support of what MON has done. I'm surprised there is so much negativity over the decision from people who are just gutted. The only people who could possibly complain in my opinion are those who are travelling to Moscow because I was similarly disappointed when I went to Hamburg. Ultimately, MON is putting the push for top four as a priority and I applaud him for that as it is a sign of where we now are. If it doesn't come to fruition come the end of the season then I won't complain because as I look at it, we are beyond expectations anyway. The reward is greater than the risk in my opinion as the minimum I think we will get is fifth and every man and his dog would have been happy with that at the start of the season. I will support the boys in Moscow and you never know they may just pull it out of the bag. Plus it is a great development opportunity for some of our boys and like you have previously said, when they are called on in the future, that will prove to be genius. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. I communicated with Randy in Moscow. He says it is cold! I told him that it is cold on the web sites too!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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