General Krulak (part 3) - Questions

[VILLAFC2000]

Hi General,

First of welcome back. I hope you had a good break over the summer.

With the introduction of the uefa financial fair play rule in a few years being introduced will teams have to be breaking even or making a profit! and if so what would be the consequences if teams are not breaking even? (will it include wages as well as transfer fees)

What effects do you think this will have on the clubs with the biggest wage bills and transfer fees?

Will it help to endeavour a more astute level playing field adding more table mobility amongst more teams in the premier league?

Keep up the good work!

Regards!

[imavillan]

General it is with much sadness that i post this message to you.

I have not renewed my season ticket this season and i think as the season progresses i will be justified in not doing so.

I have just listened to MON being interviewed ahead of the Valencia friendly and it is clear that everything that is being said in the press is correct.

By this i mean we have to sell before we can buy and that James Milner is on his way to Man City.

Now i have read what has been said about balancing the books and that it is a business and we cannot live beyond our means etc. I agree with this and this is sound business economics....

.....however i feel that we as a football club are not progressing, indeed i think we are moving backwards...

....i feel we have become a feeder club as season on season our best players are moving on......we should be keeping our best players and building the team around them....

i have not renewed my season ticket this year as i do not want to see my team compete to be the best of the rest....i want us to be up there challanging for the honours that are on offer.....

question....how can we do this is year on year we sell our best players??

how can we build upon this? and please do not tell me that our reserves and youth squad have won this and that and we have players emerging....to quote a phrase ''been there done that''

great if they stay with the Villa.....but....

I for one cannot see Aston Villa competing for the Premiership Title for a long long time.

How and when do you and Randy envisage Aston Villa seriously challanging for the title?

Barry last year....Milner this year.....

next year....Allbrighton, Young, Gabby,

As i have said, i have not renewed my season ticket this year...the first time in many and listening to MON i am not filled with optimism for the forthcoming season....in fact i am worried that the chasm is widening...we have been found wanting...

[villaboyjay]

I really like the post above, and although I am not a season ticket holder (Due to being in the British Army and 'away' a lot), I agree 100% in what you have said above.

I really thought that after last year's 6th place finish and 2 seasons of pushing hard, that this coming season would be our 'make or break' season for a real push for a top 4 place..

I feel now that we can not achieve this and we seem to have given up the ghost before even kicking a ball in anger this season..

I hope there are bright times ahead, we have lots of talent waiting in the wings, but, as you have said, they are not ready yet!

[steve_avfc]

General

I tend to agree with points raised by imavillan. we must do all we can to keep our players including James Milner. However I have renewed my season ticket because

1; I love Villa and still want to be part of it.

2; I have every faith in MON, Randy, your good self and all concerned to get it right for us to progress without being a feedeer club.

We are all in this together for our great club.

We depend on you to keep up the good work between you,

Thank you Sir

[bully]

General,

Following MON's recent comments about the Milner 'saga' it would seem that where as previously he was very much at the heart of transfer negotiations, now these are being dealt with by others. Why the change of policy?

[Villarocker]

Hi General,

I know there is a lot of doom and gloom around at the moment but I wish to remain positive. It does seem that we have to sell to buy but let's face it, if we sell Milner and get Ireland and anything close to £20m we will be doing some good business. I believe that, as long as we re-invest the money earned back into the team and buy at least a couple more quality players, we will still be able to challenge as well as we did last season, if not better.

My biggest concern is that we have already let two left backs go in Bouma and O'Halloran. With Shorey looking likely to leave and the fact that Luke Young seems out of favour and heading for the exit door, I am worried that we won't have enough cover at left back should Warnock miss any games.

Here is my question to you General, can Mrs Krulak play left back as well as right back?

Up the Villa!!

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. imavillan: I am very sorry you have decided not to renew your season ticket. Although it is obvious that some feel like you do, I think it is instructive that year on year, we are ahead of ticket sales!! So some folks have not given up the ghost. First off, WE have NOT given up!! As I have said many times, Randy is as passionate about the Club as ever...probably moreso. He is in the UK now...has been there far more often this year than ever before. He is DEEP into the Club. You are correct about one thing...this is a business. To continue to sink more money into the Club wage bill without moving some people along just doesn't make sense. You say to discount the youth...I say that is near sighted. We have, perhaps, the strongest youth program in the Premiership and the some of those players are ready to make an impact today...not tomorrow. You look at some of those lads who played last night and add them to some of the folks we already have and I think it is a strong squad right now. James Milner is a superb player...Barry was a solid player...and yes, Barry left and Milner may well go. Let's see what happens in that case...will it just be $$$ or will there be another talented player to step in along with the money. My point is that you have not renewed your ST and you aren't even sure of what will happen this season. Last year, after the first game, everyone was ready to hang it up. As it turned out, there were some real highpoints to the season. Sell to buy is NOT a bad thing...particularly if the wage bill doesn't make sense with revenue. Take a look at the squad roster...total squad...and tell me you think it is a bad idea.

2. MON is still deeply involved in transfers. And Mrs "K" is a center midfielder...great pace, nose for the goal, and powerful with both left and right foot.

[P3te]

general, hell of a job and a big round of congratulations to all involved with negotiations if this £16.5. rising to £19m plus ireland for milner thing is true

if not, discount

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

General, cheeky hint

if O'Neill pulls it off, we will all love him very much.

[Risso]

Let's see what happens in that case...will it just be $$$ or will there be another talented player to step in along with the money.

If that's a cheeky hint that a certain player is on his way, then I love you General. In a manly, comradely way of course.

[DalianDaley]

... And Mrs "K" is a center midfielder...great pace, nose for the goal, and powerful with both left and right foot.

..sounds like a perfect LB for MON!!!

sorry, just kidding, but couldnt resist

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. There have been some comments about youth and whether they can really be counted as "part of the team" and "part of the bright future." Let me mention a few lads who really can make a difference:

Defouneso: Striker...played for England U 19's and U 21's. Has seen action with the Villa. A real prospect.

Albrighton: Winger...can play on the right or the left. Had a strong pre-season and was just called up for the England U-21's.

Clark: Center back. Former England U-19 Captain. Played for first team in 2-0 win over Fulham last year. Calm and composed as a leader. Is left footed so can play on the left. Captain of the reserve team for past two years.

Weimann: Striker...18 year old Austrian. Scored twice against Walsall in pre-season. Again, a solid prospect.

Lichaj: Full back...can play right or left back. Strong and tough with a good long throw-in capability.

Lowry: Left or centre back. Played on the Australian Squad. On loan to Plymouth and Leeds last season.

Bannan: Midfielder...on loan to Blackpool last season. Very good skill. A little small but has good talent and a strong heart. I have nothing against small people!!!!

Parrish: Keeper who is another product of our Academy and can be superb with experience.

My point is simply this: We have some lads who are waiting in the wings and can be productive. Everyone has to start somewhere...our youth program is a great place to start and can help lead to the bright future.

[villabromsgrove]

General, have you been reading my posts? :winkold:

[Razor]

General, if we manage to get over 15 million AND Ireland, then it will be the second best deal any club has managed to pull off (after Inter getting 40 mil and Etoo for Ibrahimovic!), so thanks to everyone involved for managing to get such a great deal. If we use the money to get Keane & Mcgeady then i will be delighted with our summers work and confident of at least doing as well as last season.

[maqroll]

General, it seems absurd that players have to halt their training with their respective clubs to hook up with the England team again for a meaningless friendly right before the start to the new season, and after a World Cup.

It's not only absurd, but angering. At this point in time, players should be entirely focussed on their clubs, and now they run the risk of injury for nothing.

How do you and Randy feel about it?

[avillafan.com]

Afternoon General,

Im sorry but I have a bit of a moan and it isnt kit or transfer related.

I've been a season ticket holder at Villa Park now for pushing on 14 years and I will continue to be as long as finance allows. Anyway, I went along to the pre-season friendly with Valencia and generaly had a good time.

However, in the stands i have started to notice that on the 'cheaper' games we get plenty of idiots in the stands that the stewards simply dont seem to do anything about as they insult younger members of fans who are there because of there love of the game and for the club. There are plenty of people smoking and getting away with this.

A young lad who was with me for this fixture walked out of the game and was ever so dissapointed for being called a 'bluenose' because he refused to stand when the old 'stand up if you hate the blues was sung'. The lad in question has been a season ticket holder for the past 2-3 seasons however he has stated he will not renew this season and will only travel to away games because of people like this at Villa Park.

And its not just this young lad, there plenty of people i talk to who are now saying they prefere away games over home games because of selected fans in the stand at Villa Park.

Now, I know nothing can be done about this but I just thought you would like to know what is going on inside Villa Park on some match days and it might be a idea to give stewards more power or something to sort out idiots like these.

My second point or should i say question be will the signs be updated on the area the club have updated on the corner of the North Stand? The new development looks very nice but i feel this should be sorted. Also, will there be a screen re-errected as fans in the Holte End dont have one to look at anymore?

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. avillafan.com: I hear you. I will pass on your comments to Paul Faulkner and to our security folks. We cannot have problems in the stands that impact on other fans.

2. Speaking as a Fan and not as a Director, I am increasingly concerned about the number of games played over a season...this includes "friendlies" with the English team. At some point in time, the Premiership will need to determine how much is too much. I think the World Cup might have shown that the number of games is getting to be an issue with our play.

[villianusa]

General Krulak here:

1. There have been some comments about youth and whether they can really be counted as "part of the team" and "part of the bright future." Let me mention a few lads who really can make a difference:

Defouneso: Striker...played for England U 19's and U 21's. Has seen action with the Villa. A real prospect.

Albrighton: Winger...can play on the right or the left. Had a strong pre-season and was just called up for the England U-21's.

Clark: Center back. Former England U-19 Captain. Played for first team in 2-0 win over Fulham last year. Calm and composed as a leader. Is left footed so can play on the left. Captain of the reserve team for past two years.

Weimann: Striker...18 year old Austrian. Scored twice against Walsall in pre-season. Again, a solid prospect.

Lichaj: Full back...can play right or left back. Strong and tough with a good long throw-in capability.

Lowry: Left or centre back. Played on the Australian Squad. On loan to Plymouth and Leeds last season.

Bannan: Midfielder...on loan to Blackpool last season. Very good skill. A little small but has good talent and a strong heart. I have nothing against small people!!!!

Parrish: Keeper who is another product of our Academy and can be superb with experience.

My point is simply this: We have some lads who are waiting in the wings and can be productive. Everyone has to start somewhere...our youth program is a great place to start and can help lead to the bright future.

Tell MON he has my support in blooding the youngsters this season. We have seen the reserves win their league for the last two season but fans still clamour for 20+ million signings. If we aren't going to give these youngsters a chance what is the point in having the structure we have in place?

You hear a lot of well he isn't good enough before he has been given a chance to prove himself in the first team. I have played and coached long enough to know you won't know someones character and ability until they face their hardest task. With yourself coming from a military background i am sure you understand this.

I am not one for instant success but yes I want Villa to win also. But Villa will hopefully be around when I am gone and this more important than anything. I pray my children, and their children, etc will support the Villa for who they are and not who plays for them and not of success. So give the kids a chance and like them fight it out and prove they can succeed where others have not been given the chance. Oh and tell MON to play Bannan, I believe he could be a star no matter how small he is. :winkold:

[Khizzy]

Hi General,

Sorry for bothering you once again but I posted something a couple of weeks ago that I think may have been missed in the time you were off the forum for a brief period of time. I've reposted it below, any help is appreciated!

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Hi General,

Hope you had a good break and you are now fully refreshed in time for the new season!

I am part of the Birmingham Eid Mela organising committee for this year - the Eid Mela if you haven't heard of it before is one of the largest annual multicultural festivals in Birmingham, organised in partnership with Birmingham City Council and local organisations and is this year being held in Cannon Hill Park on Sunday 26th September.

The committee have asked me to establish if there was any way the club would allow some of the players / backroom staff to record some goodwill messages in support of the event to be shown online and at various promotional events. If this is possible, who would I need to go through to make it happen? I have been through Duncan Riddle previously about another matter and also raised this but didn't get an answer back, so not sure if he is the right person to ask!

You are more than welcome to attend as our guest, should you be in the country and available to attend!

[MuleAthon]

General,

Sorry if this seems to be flogging a dead horse somewhat, but I'd just like to add in my own disappointment (in addition to those shared by avillafan.com) at the way in which the stewards behaved at the Valencia friendly.

A small but very vocal and perhaps even intimidating minority, evidently with little concern for the rules and regulations imposed upon the club for the benefit of all, managed to in part ruin what was actually quite an entertaining game of football for me. Smoking and drinking in the stand were persistantly ignored by the stewards that could plainly see what was going on. Add into that some of the most vulgar chants I've heard in a long time (though admittedly the club can't do a great deal to prevent this aside from throwing their own customers out) and it wasn't a particularly pleasant experience.

The club has in the past rightly made a big deal out of its community ties and family-friendly atmosphere. But it's hard to see that slant on things from the seat I found myself in. When the club has been faced with the threats levelled by the police and local council regarding such activities I would have thought that there would be actions taken to prevent these threats being carried out.

But gripe aside, the ground was looking lovely, and I've got to say we have one of the best looking pitches I've seen - so pass on some credit to the ground staff who evidently do a stunning job.

Thanks for your time General.