JoeFoSho Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Hi General, Here's one to distract you from the sadness; I got O'Neill 31 on one of my home shirts this season and I was going to get Randy's name next season but I have no idea what number to get. Could you please ask him if he as a favourite or lucky number? Thanks in advance. PS - I have faith in Martin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maradona10 Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 General, Could you please pass on my support to Gabby Agbonlahor. At this moment he must be feeling low on confidence, but tell him there are some Villa fans who are 150% behind him! The thing is we have fans who are quick to jump on the back of the players rather than support them. We do have short memories of this guy banging in the winner at St Andrews, also being the top English Goalscorer at this present time, they also forget the amount of assists this guy gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pricey_1984 Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 General, Could you please pass on my support to Gabby Agbonlahor. At this moment he must be feeling low on confidence, but tell him there are some Villa fans who are 150% behind him! The thing is we have fans who are quick to jump on the back of the players rather than support them. We do have short memories of this guy banging in the winner at St Andrews, also being the top English Goalscorer at this present time, they also forget the amount of assists this guy gets. same here please pass on my support as well general. some of our fans have very short memories and there was a lot of people by me in the lower holte very unhappy with the ironic cheers and boo's when gabby went off. i cannot believe some of our fans sometimes. How this is going to help a player whos short on confidence i just dont know. As you said general there will be highs and there will be lows and yesterday was a big low for me, i am actually ashamed to support the same club as some of these fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubby Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 General, Can I just add another angle to this discussion. I am often the most positive Villa fan I know. I believe 100% in MO'N and have never felt so much confidence in the direction the club is going. I also have no qualms should we finish outside of the top 4 as long as another season in Europe is on the cards, which I have no doubt will be the case. Whilst I don't agree with any booing of the team and individual players, I do believe that as a paying supporter I have the right to make my concerns known about the standard of play. I pay a minimum of £400 just to attend home games, add in my spending on away games, food, merchandise etc. I probably would think I pump somewhere in the region of £1,000 per season into the club. There are many who put more in, much more in fact so it disgruntles me to think that some players just don't appreciate what we go through to be there every week. For me it's the cost plus a 2 hour plus drive each way. Now, like I said, I don't agree with the booing and never do boo. But I am frustrated by the performances of some players who are taking away from others players what they so rightly deserve. I know it is not for you to relay player decisions to MO'N and his staff, but some of our boys, particularly one who had a negative reception yesterday, has of late let the team down greatly and in my opinion should be taking a long look at himself. On a final note, Stan Petrov has been superb this season, player of the season in many peoples eyes in fact. He deserves to be playing alongside players who give as much as he does. How did he get here - he was dropped last season after underperforming. There is hope for some yet. Kindest regards Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heystally! Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Hi General, Very disappointed at the moment I have to be honest. I know the team cannot truely be accused of not putting in the effort, but complacency does seem to be creeping into a lot of our first-team players. I was at Stoke two weekends ago, I travelled to Man City, and I was at the game yesterday, and for me the only players who seem worthy of putting in 110% are John Carew, Gareth Barry, Stiliyan Petrov, Ashley Young and Nigel-Reo Coker (add Luke Young to the list but I thought he didn't play so well yesterday). MON really needs to shake things up at the moment, or it seems we are going to get killed travelling to Anfield and Old Trafford back-to-back. The top teams pray on complacency. The other thing I wanted to point out was the reaction to the substitution of Gabby Agbonlahor. I for one was not jeering the decision, but I can understand why some people did jeer - and it was not aimed at Gabby himself. As of late, maybe for a month or so, Gabby really has not been playing well. His movement on the front line has been non-existant, he does not take on players half as much as we know he can, it is like watching a different player to the one who shone in the first half of the season. And i'm sure Gabby knows this himself more than anyone does. But in spite of this, which can be seen by pretty much every Villa fan at the moment, it seemed as though he was untouchable. The Heskey-Gabby combination has not been working recently, and it is not through anyone's fault. But the fans have been begging MON to bring off Gabby and change things up that way, but yesterday has been the first time this has happened. It is through no dislike of Gabby that people wanted him substituted, it is because he has not been playing well. John Carew on the other hand has come off the bench in the last three matches, started one (at home to Moscow), scored three goals and created so much more than Gabby has in recent weeks. So my viewing of the situation yesterday was less jeering at Gabby, but more at MON. It had started to seem that no matter how bad Gabby was playing, no matter how little effort it seemed he was putting in, he was irreplacable. And it appeared that maybe this, coupled with his selection for England, made him too complacent. But finally, after the fans had seen for weeks his weak performances, MON makes the call he should have a few games ago. But it was still too little too late. I honestly believe that had Carew come on for Gabby instead of Zat Knight (who I felt was unfortunate to be substituted, as he has been playing well recently, and he is a better centre half than Luke Young!!) we would have had a better chance of winning the game. So I am thankful that finally MON has made the call he should have made weeks ago. And maybe it'll encourage him to give players a chance who a desparate to make an impression. It seems MON thinks that just having Gabby on the pitch gives us a great chance of winning, because he can change a game in a flash. But even I could see that he was off form against Everton in the cup. And maybe having a player always starting, never being subbed off, made the players behind him think "if I can't get a game when this guy is playing badly, how can I get a game?" which does nothing for moral. Please try and pass this on to the dressing room. It was not jeering aimed at Gabby as a person. It was an attempt to show that this change should have been made weeks ago, yet it seems MON did not have the guts to do it until yesterday. And I honestly believe it could have been a big factor in why we have slipped in recent weeks. Up the Villa! J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. To ALL Villa Talkers: First and foremost, I want to assure ALL Fans that I pass on all remarks...the good, bad and ugly...to those who need to hear them. I do not moderate what you have to say and have NEVER done so. Fan frustration is passed on as is Fan support. I think I have shown by my actions over the years that I do not "hide" the feelings of the fans. Secondly, I am not a believer in booing. It demotivates the player/players involved and it sends a terrible signal to the Squad. I certainly believe that a person pays for his/her ticket and has every right to boo if he/she wants to do so. My point is simply that it does FAR MORE harm than good. FANS ARE IN THE INSPIRATION BUSINESS!! Yes, Fans inspire the team. Booing inspires no one. Third, no one denies we are having a very tough run right now. Likewise, we all should realize that NO player nor NO Manager or Coach comes to a game thinking that they might "play a crap game today." They come to win! Unfortunately, we are in a drought. BUT, we still have critical games to go and I firmly believe we will find an oasis and come out of the drought!! Fourth, Randy and I and the rest of the Board love the Villa. This is not a "hobby" or a "toy"...this is a team we truly love. We suffer along with each of you! We don't just give it a "ho hum" and pop over to the Holte for a toddy and then go back home. We know what "gutted" feels like!! Fifth: For those Fans who are down on Martin, I ask that you look at his whole "body of work" whilst here at Villa. This is a man who has done a remarkable job of bringing players in, of re-signing players we want to keep, of divesting players we don't want to keep, of motivating our players, of elevating our Club in the League. It is very tempting to look at one transfer window or talk about players we "should have gone for." NONE of us are in MON's shoes...NONE of us know the intricacies of the negotiations that he has waged....NONE of us have the responsibility that he has on his shoulders. The other day he asked for the Fan's support...TODAY I again ask for that support. Randy and the Board are solidly behind Martin and the Lads...we believe in them and what they are trying to accomplish. We have key games to go...I would ask that you continue to inspire, not demotivate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigVik Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 General; we still have the faith, we still believe in each and every one of these players. We can get results, we can get fourth. Players and fans unite, we are Aston Villa FC. And chin up Gabby, every one knows you have the ability son, you'll find your form soon enough. KEEP THE FAITH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanddonya Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 General Thank you for coming on - it must be hard now. I am gutted about this recently, and feel very sorry for Gabby as, I feel, as others have said, this is MON's mistake, and not his. All players , including world class ones like Gerrard, Torres and Beckham have dips in form, but it is for the manager to recognise this, and make the best decision. Personally, I think he's got it wrong in more ways than one !. If you do pass on messages, I ask one thing. Tell MON to go down the club shop and pick up a copy of the Season review - 1989-1990. Look at it closely, look at what we done in the January - and one particular player we bought, changed the whole system to accomodate him - then PLEASE admit it is Deja-vu and do something about it before it is too late. Heskey = Cascarino. And, my favourite comment - Is life sh.. because football is sh.. - or is it the other way around. Well since January - I've had a mare also !!!! Cheer up - nearly the Cricket season - you'll have to go down Edgbaston !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Hi General, Hope you are ok and not too despondent following our recent slump in form. I have to say that the team and MON are certainly proving all of the doubters right at the moment. I must admit that I was also concerned about our lack of quality in reserve for when the big games came and it's only been proven right General! I would have loved it for the lads to show the cynical, top 4 loving, media and pundits that we have got enough strength in depth to cope with the amount of big games we had coming, but unfortunately they haven't done themselves any favours at all. Going out of Europe seemed like an executive decision made by Martin but the players have let him down and it's, no doubt, going to come back to bite him on the backside. I gotta say that I am disappointed with the lads being given so many "breaks". We are supposedly aspiring to be a "top 4" side. Well those "top 4" sides cope with massive, high pressure games year in year out and you don't see them flying out to Dubai for a break! The stars who compete in Champions League football are needed nearly all of the time at this end of the season, simply because every game for them seems to be huge. How is it that their managers can play them week in week out, winning big games, but ours felt that our players needed a rest? I know we don't have a squad as big as theirs but who is to blame for that? I am hoping that we can get back to winning ways ASAP but that 4th place is now going to be very difficult. I am seriously worried that we may have missed a golden opportunity. There is no doubt in my mind that Man City and Spurs won't be as poor next season. They seem to have no fear in the transfer market and top quality players are going to be hard for Villa to sign in the summer, especially if either of those 2 clubs compete with us, not to mention the top 4! I know Martin was recently quoted as saying that we would have a squad capable of competing on all fronts next season but to do this he is going to have to work unbelievably hard in the summer to make that happen! I am behind him and the team all the way General, as are all the other Villa fans. We are all just frustrated that we have seen this all before when we were so close to doing something massive. We now need to hope that the players can work a miracle this season. If not, we will have to hope for some major activity in the summer, otherwise I fear tickets may be much easier to obtain for Villa Park next season. By the way General, I have my season ticket bought and paid for already. I can't wait to get first option on the new stand when it's eventually built Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shenry87 Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 As you have probably seen, our fans have been getting a slating in the press recently and other football fans now seem to think we have the worst and most fickle fans in the league. I thought that against Tottenham the atmosphere was one of the best of the season even though we were behind from early on and there are very few clubs that sing when they're 2-0 down. Its annoying that about 500/41,000 fans are clouding the outlook on the rest of us who are completely behind the Board, MON and Gabby. UTV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejoker Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Hi General, I'm really pleased to hear us entering the Peace Cup in the summer. It just shows how much the profile of the club has increased in europe since Randy took over. I look forward to us taking on some 'giants' of world football like Real Madrid and Juventus, even if they are only friendlies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. JoeFoSho: I asked Randy for a favorite number and he said he really didn't have one. The only number I have ever seen on a shirt of his...and it was an old Browns shirt...was 10. 2. Maradona10: Message passed AND received. 3. shenry87: I agree, it is sad when the entire fan base gets clobbered because of the actions of the few. I know it does you little or no good but...Randy and the Board LOVE Villa Fans and recognize that the VAST majority are the very best in the Premiership. We just need to "police our own." 4. villarocker: I understand what you are saying! My only rejoinder is that the Dubai trip was not a "break"...it was an effort to get the team out of the environment they have been in, train where the weather permits good, hard, practices, and give Martin a chance to be with his players with little or no distractions. It was not a holiday! 5. The Peace Cup will be good. 6. I have a Board Meeting and will be off the net until Friday...I am not going UA!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Hello General, I don't know if this falls within your sphere of influence, but if there is any way you can send a message straight to Gabriel Agbonlahor to let him know that despite the boo birds, the VAST MAJORITY of Villa fans are behind him 100%. I don't like the idea that Villa fans are being painted with one brush in the media over this, because it's not the real deal. Best, Maqroll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFoSho Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 JoeFoSho: I asked Randy for a favorite number and he said he really didn't have one. The only number I have ever seen on a shirt of his...and it was an old Browns shirt...was 10. Cheers General. Just in case I have some cabbage left over after paying for a holiday and am in the mood for a long sleeved shirt, what's your favourite number? I might have to explain who you are to a few people :winkold: but the fact you come on here and talk to the fans is unique and I'm proud that you're at Villa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfcgoodie Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 General: Can you ask the players if there willing to donate £100 to Acorns if we finish 5th, AND if we Finish 4th Il donate £100 to Acorns........... Either way Acorns win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 General Krulak here: 4. villarocker: I understand what you are saying! My only rejoinder is that the Dubai trip was not a "break"...it was an effort to get the team out of the environment they have been in, train where the weather permits good, hard, practices, and give Martin a chance to be with his players with little or no distractions. It was not a holiday! That's a fair shout General and I apologise for suggesting that the lads were out in Dubai taking it easy. I guess it was a bit of frustration on my part as the Tottenham game really got to me. I was so gutted and annoyed that I couldn't even bring myself to barrack the useless linesman that was in close proximity, after making an absolute joke of a decision during the second half. I want us to prove the cynics wrong so badly. You know General, all of those people who say that the "top 4" are the "top 4" and think that they are beyond the reach of the rest of the clubs in the top flight. The arrogance of some of those people really winds me up and I can't wait for the time to come when we gatecrash the party! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 General, pay no mind to a certain poster who said he'd like to wipe out the USA. I'm sure it was in jest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidplatt7 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 hi general,hope everythings well with you and id just like to say its really good of you to give up your time to come on here and speak to the fans!i couldnt see anyone of your position doing this at other clubs!i have 2 questions this peace cup we are in are any of the destinations been announced yet where the games will be played as i havent booked a holiday yet and would like to book somewhere where i could watch the villa play? also will we be getting a new home kit next season because i only have the away kit and was thinking of getting the home kit but there is no real point is we will be renewing for next season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. Back from Board meeting. 2. Yes, we will have a new home kit next year...and away. The Peace Cup looks to be held in Spain. 3. I recognize the frustration...and feel it myself. Still, we MUST continue to be positive...negativity isn't in my vocabulary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthBirminghamVilla Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 General, please can you clarify the date we play Manchester United as there in conflicting information on the web regarding this. Thanks EDIT - Date now confirmed. no need to reply to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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