c-krulak Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. yellow card: I really don't think I should indicate who my favourite player is...even as just a Fan. Would not sit well in the dressing room. 2. villa4europe: Please call Nicky Keye at ticketing and tell her what happened...to help us discover what went wrong and fix it so no other fan has the same problem. 3. carlitobrigante: yes, we do have a well thought out 5 year plan...and had one from the beginning. Yes, we have had to make alterations to it due to a number of factors...some of which you mentioned. Still, we feel we are pretty much on schedule. The issue of attendence is a wild card right now. We need fans to come out and cheer the lads on...without fans, cheering the lads, we can't expect our lads to achieve all that is necessary. 4. chips'ngravy: No more on Barry. As I said, we just need to agree to disagree. I confess that I am a bit surprised that no one else on the thread has challenged your comment that Barry is "the best" in the Premiership. That is one strong statement. 5. paulanddonya: Please don't go on vacation anymore!!! 99.9% of your comments have been answered by me over the past 10 days...and most of the debate has almost sent me to the nut house. MON, tactics, window, "that" post (which I answered but did not get the same placement as the "post"), Barry, etc. etc. I would ask that if you really want answers, just go back thru the thread about 10-15 pages. I just made a comment about Barry above...but, again, let me be clear. I wa simply answering a question I was asked...answering it as a fan. If what I said about Barry was "disrespectful", the how do you feel about some of the comments I get on this site...about me, MON, Randy, etc.??????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablopicasso Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 while debate of that kind is not encouraged on this thread, i think i might add to your "strong comment" and back it up 'from the terraces'... i think pace all round in the central midfield will always be a danger, even if the players dont necessarily have the technical ability to go with it... portsmouths pace and strength a few seasons ago was always dangerous... barry does not have any pace at all... having two snails in the centre of the park, doesnt really help when we play a pacy counter attacking game... nor does it help if we hoof the ball long, and the two central players dont have the pace to support the attack quick enough... he does the simple things really well, but his lack of pace, and the fact that we relied on him to open up defences, and lets face it, he is never going to do that either with his nice neat and tidy sideways passing, or his lack of pace, meant that we were pretty one dimensional, and leant itself even more so to our midfield being over run, and then us ending up hoofing it, over and over... we have still hoofed it this season, especially when carew and heskey play, but we have been forced to change our game to adapt, and after the wigan game, we have been a much better side for it, despite actually having less quality in the centre of the park... fabian delph is the long term replacement for barry, and he has all the attributes to be a much better all round player than barry ever was... in the short time he has been on the pitch, he has shown glimpses albeit in fits and starts, of being an absolutely wonderful player with creativity, vision, tenacity, technical ability and pace... so in the long term, i believe we will have improved on barry... in the short term, we have not... dont think downing is his replacement, as i think he will play left wing, with milner coming into the centre with young moving either wide right or playing behind the striker... they could all switch positions, and make us hard to mark, and good movement, which allows for options for the player in possession, is what i have been waiting for in the centre of the park for ages... which is why i am not too bothered about barry leaving... while a fine and tidy player, he wasnt our best player, and wasnt suited alongside petrov, to our style of play... good luck to him at city.. he has players around him to suit his game, so they will see consistantly nice neat and tidy things from him... i will add a disclaimer in though, this is purely my personal opinion and is in no way factual... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 that" post (which I answered but did not get the same placement as the "post") That's not right - I can't believe VT didn't give you equal coverage. bad news :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted September 4, 2009 Administrator Share Posted September 4, 2009 4. chips'ngravy: No more on Barry. As I said, we just need to agree to disagree. I confess that I am a bit surprised that no one else on the thread has challenged your comment that Barry is "the best" in the Premiership. That is one strong statement. The moderators do not allow discussion amongst posters in this thread. There are many other threads where posters can (and have) discussed this. (which I answered but did not get the same placement as the "post")I know you are a busy man and may have missed it, but your reply is still on the front page of this site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterWithe's_shin Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Hi General, I've not seen this article mentioned anywhere else on this site, but it looks like the work of Randy and the board isn't going unnoticed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8211531.stm In compiling the rankings, five criteria were used to judge club boards. These include whether the board is putting the club first - is it using the club to make money or does it act to ensure the club continues to prosper in the future? Also important is the issue of "long termism" - for example, is there a strong youth policy, has the stadium been improved, and is the debt level manageable? As the last couple of weeks have shown, there are still a lot of fans who only see the last weeks result and start complaining. The bigger picture is the long term success of the club which is what Randy is aiming for. the best run club in the land Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 General Krulak here: 1.peterwithe's_shin: I agree. Often we concentrate so hard on what takes place on the Pitch that we fail to recognize that there is a huge foundation that must be nourished to have a successful Club. Much has been said about the 5 year plan but many fail to realize that it is more than just what happens on the Pitch. Obvously that is CRITICAL but to reach the level we have set as a goal, we need to do alot off the Pitch as well. It is hard...it does not involve overnight miracles...it does not revolve around one man or one player. It will come with a steady, even-handed approach to all aspect of the Club. Sometimes we will be successful and other times we won't. What is important is that we keep moving forward until we reach the goal that we all seek. Fans are critical to our success. There is absolutely no way we can have a successful Club without the support of the Fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tazzy Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 jesus christ lads, take it easy on the general, whats with all this on pitch talk, its mon that deals with all that gererally speaking, im happy with almost every aspect of the club, and its obvious to see its being run right, so no complaints there, my only issue is the shop in the city centre, its not very appealing, theres not alot of merchandise, last time i went there was empty space, and there was no clothes of my size (small male, im 5ft 4) and some merchandise is a little bit tacky, the shop at the ground however is much better is there any plans to improve the city centre shop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
granville Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Hi General K, I have a request. Next time you see Randy could you please 'high five' him and, if the moment is right, give him a big hug from us. He's backed MON every window in spite of the annoying fact his commitment still gets questioned and I'm not the only one who is extremely grateful. Once again he's put his hand is his pocket and we now have a great squad IMO, his willingness to spend on transfers is only matched by the great work that's been done with regards to other aspects of the club. It puts a smile on my face every time I talk to (more like at) a bluenose just reminding them what a great job our board (your good self most definitely included) is doing compared to the cut and run effort the porn dwarf and homeless vampire down the road are attempting. PS - Your constant efforts to communicate with the fans and bridge the gap between us and the board is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Hi General, I was wondering if you are looking to continue to try and target the local community in order to widen our current fan base and what plans you have in place to do this. For example what you did a couple of seasons ago, where you had a certain section of the ground that served halal food and a no drinking zone. I think there is massive potential in Birmingham to grow our support even further through the younger generation. In fact many of my cousins who live in birmingham have been invited to Villa through their schools and I think this has had a massive effect with many kids beginning to show support for Villa. Even taking my cousins to the park you hear kids shouting the names of Young, Carew, Gabby when scoring, which makes a change to a few years ago! I think you have done a splendid job so far and are going about things in the right manner. UTV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zapbranny Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Dear Sir, Just finished a course at the Land Warfare Centre in Warminster, and I thought you'd be pleased to know that your "Three Block War" principle is still as current as the day you wrote it, and is still being taught today to Junior Officers, you must be a very proud and intelligent man. On another note I happened to bump into a British soldier that met you whilst he was on attachment to the Marines, he would have been a Corporal or a Sergeant back then, he asked me to say Hello from a John Coles. He said he gave you a book, sorry the name escapes me now. Anway, I'd like to ask you to pass on my thanks to Mr Lerner for all he has done for the club so far and I look forward to a bright and long future under his stewardship. I'd also like to express my admiration for all you have achieved throughout your Military career, and that the passionate and work ethic you exhibit today are a clear indication of why you excelled. Your interaction and constant communication with the fans is exemplary of the serve to lead ethos and I am absolutley stoked to have you working on our behalf. Please don't let some of the less broad minded posters get to you, the vast majority of Aston Villa fans are extremely appreciative of both yourself and Mr Lerner. Your Sincerely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. Tazzy: If you can provide me specifics of what you think would make the city center shop better, I promise that I will provide them to the folks who need to know. 2. I will be seeing Randy shortly and will give him the hug and tell him it is from you!! 3. omarigy: In answer to your question, yes. We continue to interface with the local community in an effort to bring AVFC football to a segment of society. We are constantly out and about...and continue to have special offers. We do not plan to let up on this effort. 4. zapbranny: Thank you for the kind words. It is interesting that I introduced the concepts of the "Three Block War" and the "Strategic Corporal" in 1997...over 12 years ago. As you can imagine, I was very frustrated when my contemporaries in and out of the Military...to include the Government...thought I was crazy. Their view of warfare was rooted in the concepts stemming from victories in WW II and never considered that the next war would not be the son of Desert Storm but, rather, the stepchild of Chechyna. Anyhow, thanks for the comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanddonya Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Gen I have an idea that would make the City Centre store better - the opening hours !. I live 50m from Brum now and only really come back for the matches now, but last year when my son wanted his new shirt we came up for the match and went straight into town afterwards , arriving at 5.25pm. Only to be told they shut at 5.30pm and couldn't print the name as it took 20mins. Now, I gotta say, on that occasion the store were first class and the guy actually stayed behind and did it for him so no complaints there. But I think, considering a lot of people go through town on the way home, it is daft shutting the shop when they get there. Most other stores are open until 8pm. Hope that helps. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tazzy Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 thanks for the reply, general concerning the shop, i think larger variety of casual clothes, im not a fan of buying the replica shirt (i dont see the point in spending £40 on a shirt only to wear for 10 months) youve put me on the spot really general, and i cant think at the moment, i guess the powers that be, have already thought of everything as that is their job, i will have to pay another visit! thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuleAthon Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 On a note on the club Merch: There's not a great deal of variation, it's all very much overtly football casual wear - as opposed to say a plainer polo shirt with a small lion embroidered on it, or some such. I for one would kill for a simpler range that doesn't have writing all over the front of it, if only because sometimes stuff like that isn't appropriate, and as I've mentioned before to you, the Women's selection is even more limited than the mens. It's not a problem with the City Centre store specifically, just the general amount of 'non-replica' gear on sale. With that said, some more replica shirts would always be welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas_Mike Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I too would like to see a more subtle and classy line of options available.Nothing to do with the club shop this but more woth the general selection available to the fan that doesn't want to ram their support down the throats of people they are around. I have to rise above the level of the average Cowboy fan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubby Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 A bit of Browns chat General... With a week to go until the start of the NFL regular season I would say that the Browns are looking in fairly good shape. 2-2 in pre season is not bad - certainly a lot better than last year - and if they went 8-8 for the regular season I am guessing that most people would be pretty pleased with that. Mangini has defintely moulded a squad quickly and dilligently, rostering players that are going to do a job in their position. I do however think that the running game is still weak, JL will be lucky to see out the season if you ask me. However, it is nice to see 9 rookies involved in the 52 rostered players and the whole set up does remind me somewhat of our own at the Villa. If they can avoid major injuries like last season and if the offense works this time around I think it will be an exciting 4 months ahead. Last thing - Brady Quinn should get THE starting job and I think he probably will. Cheers Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. Thanks for all the comments of the store...from the hours to the apparell. I will get these comments to John Greenfield. 2. Tubby: If the Browns go 8-8 I think that we would be very happy with Coach Manginc and the Squad. We are in a very strong conference and it is hard to win games going against the likes of the Superbowl champs. At the same time, it is a funny game with a ball that bounces in a funny manner. Let's pray for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyClarke Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Hi General As a fan, I can't help but feel concerned by the lack of supporters at recent games. I appreciate that times are tough for lots of people but it does seem like the old Villa apathy is back, the Rapid Vienna offer was a great idea and the club has done a fantastic job of following that up after the disappointment of not qualifying. I have done a search on the thread but couldn't find an answer, how many season tickets have the club sold? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 General Krulak here: 1. I agree, it is sad that we are seeing a lower number of fans at the games than last year. My sense is that there are many, many, reasons for this and I think we have pretty much hashed them all out. At the end of the day, fan attendence is what drives the Club. First off, they inspire the team. I think we have all seen where that is the case. Perhaps a good example is the Blues game (home) last year. The din from the crowg was deafening and the players were given max support...the result, huge win. Second, revenue is important...and bums in seats is revenue. Simply put, Randy doesn't have a printing press in his basement that prints out pound notes. We need revenue to continue to remain competitive. Third, we have a sure realization of the economy today...and it is the reason why we have tried to keep our ticket prices down so that our fans can come to the game. Hopefully with the end of the summer will come an increase in fans at Villa Park. Again, we can't have a Club without Fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overdubber Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Surely this is a two way thing. You will only get the real take on the bums-in-seats revenue when you are successful(everybody loves a winner....). If the team can bring in some silverware-REAL silverware, not to suggest that winning the peace cup wasn`t an achievement to be proud of, but it is a preseason friendly tournament- there would be bums on seats for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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