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General Krulak (part 3) - Questions


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General a question regarding this quote from Mr Lerner today:

Finally, there have been no changes in our approach to building the club, aiming always to be as competitive as possible given our size and resources.

Given our size and resources - does that basically mean we operate with in our means? If so we had 25 odd years under Mr Ellis doing something along those lines and it basically got us nothing more than mediocrity. In any business you need to speculate to be successful the same goes for football. Without major investment we will not achieve champions league football, win trophies or challenge for the Premier League. Without achieving any of the aforementioned success then our revenue will not dramatically increase.

Are this board/owner willing to speculate and invest the major funds to gain the success required to increase revenue? If not then I am sure you would agree, as you claim to also be a fan, that it would be better if the club was put up for sale and someone with the money and the balls to invest takes over the helm at our football club.

Randy Lerner got this club for a song in my opinion. In addition to my above comments it would also be nice if you could clarify if Randy is making money in interest payments on loans to the club, a question which others have asked.

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General

I think Randy has done a ridicullously good job with our club. There are a large number of clubs which I think will still end up in very significant financial trouble in future and I also wonder what will happen to some of these mega rich clubs, bankrolled by multi billionaires (who are playing with a new toy at present) but will eventually get bored........and then what happens?

Even mighty Barcelona had cash flow problems recently for gods sake.

I thank you for safeguarding my club and running it properly whilst at the same time allowing me victories against the mega rich to savour and Wembley visits to undertake.

I am sad to see MON go but he frustrated me in many ways too. I am sure you will get in the right man (Jol, Jol, Jol) who will take us forward once more

BTW if you have not changed and reigned in your financial model in the light of the events of the last 2 years, you would be mad, anyone who thinks you should continue "as was" are equally mad.

I have a 7 year old son and I hope he can attend as many matches as I have over the years without worrying if his seat will be available next year because of a winding up order on the horizon.

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General

NO NOT SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON PLEASE SIR NO.

If David Moyes has ruled himself out and cannot get hiddink or Scolari, pleaes can we go for Martin Jol ??

He is a preferable realistic target for fans if he can be releasesd from Ajax. He came top in a survey.

For a club of our size we must pull out all the stops to get a good manager (NOT SVEN)

Thank you Sir

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General, I would like to offer my full support to Randy. The way he is running this club atm is the best way IMO without having £2bn to spend on players (a la Man City). The amount of money they are throwing about is stupid and sooner or later rules/restrictions will come in limiting wages/transfers. This rule making sure teams live within their means to get into European compitition is a step in the right direction and will hopfully open the 'powers that be' eyes to the stupid state that the PL is in. Making sure our infrastucture is sound and revenue streams are intact are a must, reducing our wage bill is also a must considering the % of revenue it takes up, (obviously this will be lower if more revenue is received). We also don't want the club to implode and face the possibility of not exsisting at all!! Taking things with a bit more caution at the moment and not spending more than we have is right (Especially considering the way MON has spent the money given to him).

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Mr Krulak,

Thank you for your candid posts that has assisted some in understanding the real issues.. I do wonder whether there is some regret due to the furore it has created in the press and I would hate for MON to now react but I understand your motives.

I currently work in the public sector and the savage budget cuts are beyond belief and a reflection on how the banking crisis has affected not only our country but the world. It will probably mean that I will have to work longer. Football is being affected by the financial turmoil and it is only right Mr Lerner has constraint. Do we want to be a Portsmouth? MON signed players and for one reason or another became beligerant and wont play them. This is not the fault of Mr Lerner but I do wonder who signed them up on such high wages.

It was clear to everyone that this was not about transfer funds but our wage stucture, which is excessive. Releasing players was about getting the bill down rather than creating funds. One of the reasons we cannot shift our fringe players is because they are earning so much. If we cannot sell the fringe players then perhaps the likes of Milner and Ashley will need selling to balance the books.

In noting Mr Lerners latest quotes I notice some reality and a management of our expectations. He states we still have ambitions that match our resources and size of club. In truth I see this as an acceptance that a top 7 finish is as much as we can hope for now. I can fully accept this and look forward to a manager that can perhaps bring a style of football and tactics that are pleasing to the eye as MON's style left me so frustrated I could not watch it. For this reason I'm glad he's gone even though it's tinged with sadness that a top 4 spot has truly gone.

Health and family is what is important, which I'm sure Mr Krulak has always realised. Up the Villa!!!

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Hello General

Looks like you've gone and got yourself into the headlines again! :winkold:

I sort of feel sorry for you a bit, its like the ticketing row from last year all over again, you just 'aint ever gonna win..

... tell us the truth, we demand it, you owe it to us...

...shortly followed by...

... how dare you go and do our dirty washing in public by criticising MON!

Personally, i couldnt care less who said what and why so long as this club keeps moving in the right direction, and so far i, nor any of the other fans can have any real complaints in the way in which this club has been run over the past 4 years... i hope this is going to continue and that some of the more conspirisist minded people on here arent proved right in the long run

On a chirpier note, the new web-site looks nice from the quick look i've had

UTV

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Hello General

I have been 100% behind both Randy and MON since day one, and am very sad to see him go and that partnership break up.

As regards the recent events and the future though I think Randys statement that we are "aiming always to be as competitive as possible given our size and resources " is indeed different to the message we have been given, or had implied, for the last 4 years. It may well more accurately state the position, and it may well be financial sense, but would you not agree there is ;

(i) a definite difference between being 'as competitive as possible' and "aiming for top 4 as minimum over 5 years", and

(ii) a difference between what is acheivable 'given our size and resources' and what is acheivable given Randys personal resources, which I think is what most fans (and MON ?) have assumed was the criteria, certainly in the early days - (and presumably when the last lot of players were bought and contracts agreed)

As I say, I am not complaining, it isn't for me to tell Randy how to spend his money, and he is a great custodian for our club, but surely you would agree the emphasis has clearly shifted.

Indeed, for better or for worse are you not, as a fan said earlier, now running the Club on the Doug Ellis model ? I think clarity on this issue is crucial - as someone said earlier, you are not looking at trying to qualify for or win the CL on the resources we have, terrific youth policy/manager/atmosphere or not.

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Hi Gen, just to echo what Steve has mentioned above, and if you scour the forum yourself you'll notice that the fans really don't want Sven.

We will however back whoever is put in charge. Please wish Kevin Mac and the players all the best from me, I hope the atmosphere at VP in Saturday is even better than usual.

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General, has Randy considered the following two people for the job of managing and coaching at Villa, namely Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke?

They would bring with them considerable coaching ability and the kind of characters and image that would enhance Aston Villa considerably. They are available now due to the short sightedness of their previous employers. They would not be expensive and would produce entertaining "bums on seats" football.

I hope you don't mind our amateur recommendations on your thread General as we naturally have an emotional stake in the Villa and would also enjoy watching good football regularly.

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Hello General

Thank you for all the work you, Randy and everyone else is doing and done at the Villa :D

just a quick question regarding the free shirt printing you offered for the new home and away shirts on the online club shop..

I wanted to get Albrighton 12 on the back only to discover i can't have him as i can only have players from the "squad list"

I tried typing him into the custom shirt printing bit but i wud end up having to pay for it????

im rather confused....

Thank You For Your Time

cheers

Matt

And PS..... UTV :D

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Hi General,

I would like to show my gratitude for the honesty and openness you have shown in the last couple of days. I don't know about everybody else but I prefer to hear the truth over bulls**t any day of the week, no matter how good or bad it may be!

My question to you General is, what do you think the score will be against West Ham?

Also General, any idea what kind of attendance we are looking at?

I remember you as being quite accurate with your predictions last season so I think it's time for the Oracle to return to action.

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It looks like a case of MON v's Randy, and as details come to light it looks to be shining more favourably on Randy et al.

I'd just like to say a big thankyou General to you and Randy. We know you have the best interests of Aston Villa football club at heart.

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Hi General

Why do we allow our better players contracts to run down in such a way that we risk not getting a fee for them or a potentially reduced one?

Surely it is the board's responsibility to safeguard the assets of the club and maximise their return.

While many other of our rival clubs have quickly and with little fuss secured their top players on long term deals we seem to be weak in this area.

Cheers for the updates by the way. Please don't get Sven - he won't be a popular choice with many!

Guus Hiddink or Martin Jol please.

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