General Krulak pt 4 - Q & A (No transfer Questions)

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. SouthBirminghamVilla: Nicky Keye reads this thread daily and will get back to me with an answer to both of our issues. We obviously want ticketing info to be accurate. The "live" booking will also be answered as soon as Nicky gets back to me.

2. Although Thanksgiving is not celebrated in the UK, I will be thanking the Lord for AVFC and the fanatic fans that support the Club. I will also be eating turkey and dressing and potatoes and stuffing and pumpkin pie and all sorts of good food...and then spending the next week working out to get rid of the calories.

[Cracker1234]

Happy Thanksgiving General,

I remember when I lived in America and had a Thanksgiving meal with some friends...I was bloated for days afterwards.

I hope you, Randy and all of the American Villains have a great meal.......Is that all Thanksgiving is for? a Meal?....I can't remember if you give presents out or not....Anyway have a great day.

[markavfc40]

Hi General,

It is looking likely that we will have less than 40k on Saturday. We also had over 2 thousand empty seats against Sha and Man Utd ( games that sold out the previous three seasons, 2 in Sha's case as they went missing for a season ). Do you simply put this down to people not being able to afford to come or would you agree that the lack of signings over the summer and loss of the previous manager have had an impact? I would also accept that poor results this season and the negative tripe served up against Sha could well have had an impact, especially on the Man Utd attendance.

I would though welcome your thoughts on what must be a worrying matter for the board.

Many thanks

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. southbirminghamvilla: Here are the answers from Nicky Keye. "We release away ticketing info as soon as we get it. This does not always flow in the order of the games played. This has happened to us twice already this season. The "live" choose your seat upgrade via e-ticketing system is currently still being developed by TMS for us and other Clubs. It will apply multiple price bands (adults, juniors, over 65, etc) to any particular seat. As soon as we have a date, we will tell everyone."

2. markavfc40: You are correct, it looks like we will be around 39,000 for the Arsenal game...last year for the Arsenal game we had 39,600. Likewise, you are pretty much correct on your comments re. ManU and B'ham. I put this down to multiple factors: 1) the economy. Simply put, the midlands have been hit harder than most areas and even with our ST prices and game offers, there are fans who just cannot find the money to attend the games. 2) When the games are televised and the economy is bad, fans will make the determination to remain at home. 3) the time of day and the day of the week also impacts on fans and their decision to come to Villa Park...especially when bounced up against the economy 4) the Manager issue this summer may or may not have had an impact...we have not seen any major decrease in ST holders which we might have expected. 5) Not sure what impact the signings issue might have had...my sense is that it would have been tied to the manager issue. 6) Poor results...only the fans can make a call on that. In the US, results do not normally drive attendance at games. The Browns have had some pretty rough seasons but their fans are in the stands every game cheering them on. Although the results are not what any of us would like, I actually find the effort from the lads, the tactics employed and the quality of our play to be very exciting. Let's be honest with each other, the injury situation has had a significant impact on the Squad we put on the Pitch...we have been missing some of our first team lads. Our younger players have come in and done a superb job and I find their effort under very tough conditions to be something to behold. There is NO question that we would like to see more people in the stands cheering our lads on!! I just don't think that the lack of attendance can be attributed to any one thing.

[SouthBirminghamVilla]

General Krulak here:

1. southbirminghamvilla: Here are the answers from Nicky Keye. "We release away ticketing info as soon as we get it. This does not always flow in the order of the games played. This has happened to us twice already this season. The "live" choose your seat upgrade via e-ticketing system is currently still being developed by TMS for us and other Clubs. It will apply multiple price bands (adults, juniors, over 65, etc) to any particular seat. As soon as we have a date, we will tell everyone."

Cheers General

[markavfc40]

General,

Thank you for the reply regarding our attendances.

It is good to hear that you and the club are aware that the Midlands has been hit harder than most areas due to the economic situation. It is I'm afraid going to get far worse due to the savage cuts by the current Government as I'm sure you are also aware. I would like to think that this will be taken into consideration when pricing season tickets next season and a reduction would not be out of place I'd suggest. I'm fortunate that I have been in a position to have a season for the last 23 years and have also been fortunate enough to be able to get my 12 year old daughter one since she was 6. I do however recognise that some fans are not so fortunate, especially in recent times, to be able to justify the cost of going to a football match and the club will certainly need to be aware of this when looking at current and future pricing.

Many thanks

Mark

[steve_avfc]

General

Thanks for the update on live e-ticketing. Eagerly awaiting the date

Yes us fans have an impact on results but also the players do, at each game we are all in it together. It is dissapointing to concede lat goals. We all need to be consistently loud like fans of Rapid Vienna, Man Utd etc to help the players.

Do you and Randy get to see all our games in the US ?

Thanks for signing a birthday card for Daniel, he is really happy.

Hope you and Randy had a good happy Thanksgiving

[jonno_2004]

I am finding the performance and effort of our so-called Senior players vastly disappointing, General. It also seems apparent that our tactics are giving teams a lead until they are eventually rectified, this isn't going to wash for the whole season, we'd do well to find ourselves outside of the bottom 3/4 at the end of today. I sincerely hope these facts are recognised by the Board.

[DeepDish]

General, is our owner prepared for what is the expensive part of owning a football club?

[R.I.C.O.]

General,

I was wondering what your thoughts were on today's game, and the lack of conviction and leadership by our so-called "senior" players, some of whom are paid £ 65,000 a week. Do you find it acceptable the lack of effort they are putting in, especially our Number 10?

[markavfc40]

General,

Following on from my post regarding attendances ( over 4k empty seats today ) something just as worrying is the lack of atmosphere. Today from the first minute it was poor and didn't get going even when it appeared we may somehow get back in to the game.

I am fully aware that many were not happy when the previous manager left and that Gerrrard Houllier did and as done little to inspire, and poor results haven't helped, but I am of the belief that despite this we all need to get behind the players during the game.

One thing I have noticed in games are the swathes of empty seats often in the Holte and today there must of been 1500 empty seats in the upper Holte, do you think that tickets in the Holte should be priced to ensure that stand is always full? as this is where the atmosphere as always been generated at VP and ensuring that stand is full may help as a packed Holte in full voice can be very inspiring for our players and intimidating for the opposition.

We were rubbish today General and 4-2 flattered us as we should have lost by 5 or 6 but I am probably stating the obvious as I presume you saw the game.

Kind Regards

Mark

[deeps]

Gen,

I have to say that so far this season I have a bitter taste in my mouth. I hope all the board and of course Randy is ready to dig deep in Jan. We are in trouble General and I'm kind of fearing the worst already.

UTV

[Meath_Villan]

I take it the five year plan has gone out the window

[dudevillaisnice]

General could you please let Houllier know that we have to win against SHA in the league cup game? Fans are increasingly getting worried on our league table position so a positive result against SHA and things might start to look up again. Derby and league cup game - so we cannot afford to lose it.

[Little8Rioch]

General

Do you know if I can have a job in our first team. I'll just need about £50,000 a week and I'll turn up and jog around the pitch when there is a match on. But I won't chase back if I lose the ball and it certainly won't bother me to watch a couple of 20 year olds trying to lift the team because I won't give a sh*t. I won't have the balls to apologise to my team mates after the game but I will go to the press if the manager complains about me.

Can you thank Ciaran Clark and Barry Bannan for me for their attempts to raise the team.

I hope Randy knows just how much team strengthening is needed in January because if we don't spend we are in trouble.

[MaseVilla]

General,

It's been a long time since we last spoke! (You may remember telephoning me all the way from the states in December 2007 in order to help me find some Wigan away tickets, which fortunately I acquired through a friend in the end). Can I just say again that I sincerely appreciate the continued time and effort you put into communicating the needs of the fans to the relevant employees of AVFC.

Now onto my point...

I am utterly disgusted at the standard of the stewarding, policing and behaviour of the away fans at recent games at Villa Park (in particular Arsenal and Manchester United).

As an avid Villa away supporter I have been exposed to all kinds of treatment by clubs (including being caged-in in europe), and I cannot think of any ground where fans would be allowed the same freedom next to the pitch as away supporters at Villa Park get.

It's bad enough conceding late goals but having to watch away supporters celebrate on OUR pitch is rubbing salt into the wound. The worst part about this is that some of the offenders jump over the advertising boards, celebrate, and then manage to escape the police and the stewards before jumping back into the crowd without punishment. United fans did this after BOTH their goals a couple of weeks ago (whilst I note its not the first season their fans have encroached onto our pitch) and several Arsenal fans did it today after their final goal.

I understand you cannot stop opposition players running over to their fans to celebrate a goal, but you can stop the fans reacting as they have.

Ways to stop this kind of behaviour could include:

- More stewards/police deployed in this area of the ground being ACTIVE. Not just standing around watching the game for free. Make them do their job.

- Stewards located on the fans-side of the barricades in order to stop them jumping on the pitch.

- Install another set of boardings for the fans to be kept behind. This will create a type of 'channel' between the fans and the advertising boards where the stewards will operate (similar to what is in front of the lower holte)

- Cut their allocation repeatedly until this stops. We have had our away allocation cut at grounds such as Sunderland for minor infractions such as persistent standing, so why doesn't this happen at VP?

Sorry for the negativity of the post. I hope that you are enjoying your holiday weekend with your family!

Be Prepared. UTV.

[avfcmatt123]

Hi General,

First post to you, has been brilliant reading what you have had to say.

I think there is a cloud of negativity above villa park at the moment, I think a lot of fans are being short-sighted and are missing glaringly obvious things that are harming our club.

I was very upset when Martin O'Neill left, he really did well with our club but in fairness had a lot of money to spend, some of which was wasted in a lot of fans opinion. I was excited with Gerard Houllier when he was appointed and to be fair to him, he has had it very hard. We all need to back him. The injuries have just been so unlucky, we have basically had 4 years worth of injuries recently; so at the moment he has a tough job on his hands.

One thing that he needs is the money in January. Our team needs more quality, and a striker. Please can we back him in January to sign some players.

I think all villa fans need to reserve judgement until after the window is closed in January and get off the player and Houlliers back, we are going through a tough period but there is light at the end of the tunnel with the squad we have.

P.S A win on Wednesday would lighten the mood a lot!

Thanks.

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. First and foremost, both Randy and I see every game...Randy sees almost all of them in person...home and away. I try to get to Villa Park once or twice a month..or to an away game. We both love the game and are committed to Aston Villa Football Club...there is no lack of focus...no lack of energy...no lack of support. Like each of you, AVFC is a large part of our lives. Yes, it has probably been a large part of your lives for longer than ours but that doesn't mean we aren't bleeding claret and blue. I mention all of this because I was as gutted as any fan over the performance today...particularly in the first half. At the same time, I am NOT prepared to throw in the towel!! We have a good squad and when we get some of our lads back, we will have a very good squad. I am not making excuses...I am only saying what is a fact. We have some VERY talented young players who are working their bums off...we have a Manager who is having to be a chess master each game...trying to figure out the "right" team and the "right" tactics. We have a long season ahead...a season that we can easily recover the table with our lads back and some action during the transfer window. What we need to do right now is exactly what avfcmatt123 said...get behind GH and the players and go for some wins.

[Cracker1234]

we have a Manager who is having to be a chess master each game...trying to figure out the "right" team and the "right" tactics

I wouldn't say that I'm that great at chess General, but I know it's a hard game to play if you don't have all of the pieces.

[villianusa]

General,

I would like you to pass on my regards to GH and what he is trying to do at the club. He is trying to bring a different style of play to the club that I have personally wanted to see in a while. Yes things haven't gone right but injuries and players taking time to learn a new system there are always going to be more defeats than victories.

Saying that I don't understand how some players don't seem up for it but I'm sure the manager sees that too. I'll let him decide what to do with them. I'm sure he will get it right and look forward to the youngsters of today having a bright future.

If he had all the players at his disposal and we were in this position then there might be reason for concern. He doesn't so as I'm sure you will support him for the fore-seeable future. A couple of new signing will help shake things up as will getting rid of players who aren't commited to the cause. I'm sure things will look better come the end of January.

UTV.