The General's thread - do not respond to other posts!

[steaknchips]

Is Reo Coker signing a new deal? We need a leader and we need a leader thats under contract and commited to the club..

How can Ashley Young lead the team during a relegation battle,when he has basically come out public saying he is leaving?

Ive not heard Reo say he is leaving as of yet,so whats the deal on this player at the moment? He won us the peace cup when leading a team of kids against some of Europe's best. And im sure if the guy was under a new 4 year deal would gear the team up to battle in these last 8 remaining games. He never stops running or puts his head down and has respect in the dressing room.

Who wants to follow a player thats got his mind on a summer move?

[juanpabloangel18]

Hi General:

As the prospect of relegation looms, I was wondering how many of our players have a relegation clause in their contracts?

I would imagine that most of them do, and that the release fee is (relatively) small, considering how we were doing when most of these deals were signed. This worries me, and should worry Randy, immensely.

If we are forced to sell all of our decent players for pittance because of relegation - we will surely be down there for decades to come.

Safe x

[Shillzz]

General,

Does Randy believe that his opinion on the Villa manager matters more than that of the fans? most of whom will have been following the club for far, far longer than he has.

[brummybloke]

General Krulak here:

1. I am going to say something as a Fan, not as a member of the Board...of course the media cannot seem to tell the difference. I spent 35+ years in the Marine Corps and went to war three times. Now I know the Forces are not football so please bear with me. When my Marines put on their uniforms and the emblem of the Corps and went into battle and things got tough, the did not fight for their Commander, they fought for their brothers-in-arms...the men wearing their uniform and emblem. When a player puts on a kit and wears the Club badge, I would expect the same. We have VERY good lads who know how to play with passion. We have all seen them do it and have cheered them on. They are professionals who have given 110% in many games. What we need now is to quit pointing fingers and everyone look at the Claret and Blue of our kit and the badge they are wearing and go out and kick the crap out of the next teams we play until the end of the season!!! That may seem simplistic but that is how I have been raised. At the end of the day, they are on the Pitch and they can do it....do it for the uniform on their backs and the badge on their breast and the Fans in the stands! That is how I feel in my heart. I believe they can do it! YOU all can help by cheering them on...let them know that they represent a great and glorious Club. UP THE VILLA.

please could you deliver the next team talk

[RussG]

Oh, he's still here then, please get rid of him ASAP as like many I'm starting to doubt the words of the board and it pains me to say that.

Houllier out.

[GarethRDR]

General Krulak here:

1. I am going to say something as a Fan, not as a member of the Board...of course the media cannot seem to tell the difference. I spent 35+ years in the Marine Corps and went to war three times. Now I know the Forces are not football so please bear with me. When my Marines put on their uniforms and the emblem of the Corps and went into battle and things got tough, the did not fight for their Commander, they fought for their brothers-in-arms...the men wearing their uniform and emblem. When a player puts on a kit and wears the Club badge, I would expect the same. We have VERY good lads who know how to play with passion. We have all seen them do it and have cheered them on. They are professionals who have given 110% in many games. What we need now is to quit pointing fingers and everyone look at the Claret and Blue of our kit and the badge they are wearing and go out and kick the crap out of the next teams we play until the end of the season!!! That may seem simplistic but that is how I have been raised. At the end of the day, they are on the Pitch and they can do it....do it for the uniform on their backs and the badge on their breast and the Fans in the stands! That is how I feel in my heart. I believe they can do it! YOU all can help by cheering them on...let them know that they represent a great and glorious Club. UP THE VILLA.

please could you deliver the next team talk

Bloody seconded. Regardless of any feelings I'd have about the gaffer, if the "Warrior Prince of The Corps" walked into the dressing room I'd bloody well listen. Especially if it's anything like R. Lee Ermey.

(The General eyeballs Ashley Young)

General: What's your name, scumbag?

Young: Sir, Ashley Young, sir!

General: Bullshit! From now on you're Private Snowball. Do you like that name?

Young: Sir, yes, sir!

Dunne would of course be Gomer Pyle.

[jackbauer24]

The Villa board are right in their backing of Houllier.

It is just a coincidence that Petrov, Young and Gabby have lost their form since GH arrival. It's also extremely unlucky for poor Mr. GH that also at this time Warnock, Dunne, Collins, Beye and Carew decided to lose all professionalism for the first time - Houllier couldn't possibly have been to blame for that.

It was also not his fault that he signed Pires, I think an evil monkey told him to do it. The same one that informed him to praise Liverpool fans.

The reason we're doing so poorly is actually the fans fault. We had the audacity to question the only person who's important at Villa - Houllier (did you know 'his' Liverpool team won the Champions League once he'd left?!)

Some blame also has to be apportioned the board too I'm afraid. How silly of you all to spend nearly £30m in the January transfer window including smashing our transfer record.

So,

It's 6-8 of the players fault for suddenly deciding not to play well this year for no apparent reason.

It's the fans fault for not supporting the team.

It's the boards fault for spending a fortune on new players.

And of course it's the Evil Monkey's fault for all the PR/ tactics gaffs.

NONE OF THIS IS MR. HOULLIER'S FAULT AT ALL AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A GREAT AND INSPIRATIONAL LEADER.

Thank you for maintaining your faith in such a man and we'll all be back next year to support Villa through all 42 league games.

[PompeyVillan]

Hi General.

Which is your favourite day of the week?

[AngelGabriel]

Still here then I see - if Houllier hasn't experienced hostility like he got on Saturday through out his career, then he hasn't seen anything yet - and there are mass protests being set up on Facebook and Twitter by the way General which maybe noticed around the Newcastle game.

Nice to know the board and Randy are listening - Villa once again let down again.

[DeepDish]

General, can you show up before the next match and give your speech?

Or this one?

I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team or we’re gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, 'til we’re finished.

We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And, we can stay here -- get the shit kicked out of us -- or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell one inch at a time.

Now, I can’t do it for you. I’m too old. I look around. I see these young faces, and I think -- I mean -- I made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I, uh, I pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me. And lately, I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know, when you get old in life things get taken from you. I mean that's...part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small -- I mean one-half a step too late, or too early, and you don’t quite make it. One-half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it.

The inches we need are everywhere around us.

They’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch, because we know when we add up all those inches that’s gonna make the ****' difference between winning and losing! Between livin' and dyin'!

I’ll tell you this: In any fight, it’s the guy who’s willing to die who’s gonna win that inch. And I know if I’m gonna have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willin' to fight and die for that inch. Because that’s what livin' is! The six inches in front of your face!!

Now I can’t make you do it. You got to look at the guy next to you. Look into his eyes! Now I think you’re gonna see a guy who will go that inch with you. You're gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows, when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him!

That’s a team, gentleman!

And, either we heal, now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.

That’s football guys.

That's all it is.

Now, what are you gonna do?

[Big_John_10]

General,

If you do indeed pass on all messages and fans feelings to Randy then I hope you make it clear that backing houllier and sending us down will result in him taking blame and ruining 5 years of good work. In my eyes he'd be worse than doug if we went down.

If he tried something and we still went down the blame on randy would be less and he'd still have some respect for trying something to save a club that he claims to love as much as us.

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

Hi General,

Apart from Mrs K, obviously - if you could have your way with any other woman in the world, who would it be?

Could be anyone famous or non-famous (e.g. Carmen Electra, Kelly Brook, Megan Fox or even Claire from work).

[blandy]

Right, after multiple pages of people passing their views on the Manager and the last game, and much work for the mods deleting abusive posts etc. Please, if you have any as yet unvoiced views use the thread on the manager, NOT THIS ONE unless/until things change. The mods think the sentiments have been passed on clearly, and we need to get back to our hollow lives. Thanks

[Condimentalist]

General,

Are there avenues at the club for players to legitimately air their grievances - be it with other players, training, the management - in confidence, and to those that matter?

Also, is Randy in England full time at the moment?

Best,

Patrick

[villafc82]

General, I'm listening to the radio, The Goalzone with the absolute legend's Tom Ross and Ian Taylor (Villa Legend and Club Ambassador). Both have said Houllier won't play those players that won't move to Birmingham. It was a slightly valid point and both said Houllier was right to do so. I messaged them, with the following point and they read out the following message and my name on the radio:

"If GH won't play those who won't move close to Birmingham (e.g. Beye, Warnock, Carew, Ireland, etc), why is he having Villa pay for Robert Pires to have a chauffeur driven car drive him to and from London everyday for training and he has been picked in the 18 man squad for every game this season?"

Both of them were completely stunned!

Your thoughts if it is possible to get your opinion to correct the media .....

P.s. Thanks for keeping in touch with all of the fans, it's really appreciated!

[avfcmatt123]

Hi General,

Don't you think it's fair on the fans for the club to come out with an official statement. It is quite ridiculous for events at the club like this to be happening at the club and nothing but a half-hearted attempt from an unnamed board member saying they are backing Houllier.

If you are backing him, tell us. We have to accept that and can then focus on getting behind the team.

If you are getting rid of him, the correct decision and nobody connected with villa could disagree do it quickly and get Kevin Mcdonald in to prepare for Everton.

This season we knew would be up and down, but our club is now a laughing stock and I am ashamed and hurt badly saying that.

[markavfc40]

General,

Paul Faulkner has told the BBC "our best chance of staying up is with Gerard"

My first response to this was who is this Gerard who is going to save us as he surely can't mean Houllier the man who has us sitting one point above the drop zone, the man who has won 6 games in 25, the man who has taken the 4th best defence last season and turned it in to one of the worst, the man who as presided over 1 win in our last 6 league games losing 3, the man who since the January transfer window shut having spent 30 million pound adding to an already talented group of players as presided over 1 win in 7 games losing 4, the man who as alienated a number of players who didn't cause an ounce of trouble last season, the man who will blame the players or the previous manager or any one but himself for failings under his watch, the man who threw the towel in on an FA Cup game before it hadn't even kicked off and since which we have lost all our games, the man who disrespected his own supporters at Anfield ignoring them whilst lording it in front of his beloved Kop after a 3-0 surrender on the pitch, the man who it seems every time he opens his trap brings more negative attention to the club, the man who many Aston Villa fans have no respect for and want sacked and the man who given their performances appears to have little respect from the players and continually fails to motivate or inspire them.

General is this really the Gerard that Paul Faulkner speaks of?

Mark

[villafc82]

General,

Villa's BBC correspondant Pat Murphy just told all of us what we want to hear - THE TRUTH!

Richard Dunne and James Collins were both fit to play Wolves, Houllier refused to pick them. Stewart Downing has told Aston Villa that he wants to leave the club. We are in a disaster and finally, thanks to us (the fans) it is coming out in the media.

I have no need to keep going on to you now because from what I just heard it sounds like Gerard Houllier has just the Everton game to save his job.

Why couldn't AVFC tell us this though? Why did it have to come out through the press?

Your thoughts? I know what mine are, absolutely pathetic!

HOULLIER OUT!!!

[QuintonK6]

Hi General,

I drive for a living and started work this morning from home at 6.30am. I'm an avid listener to a certain radio station that like to TALK about SPORT. From the moment I switched the radio on at 6.30 the breakfast show was virtually turned into the Aston Villa in crisis show. That show ended at 10.00am and the mid morning breakfast show started which is co-presented by one of Villa all time great players and an absolute Villa legend Sir Andy Gray. That show lasted 3 hrs and 70% of that show was all centred around the "Aston Villa crisis". At 1pm when that show ended I had some business to attend so stop listening. I got back in my car at 4pm for the drive back to B'ham from London and once again switched on the radio station that likes to TALK about SPORT. That show was called drive time and lasted 3hrs (my whole journey back) and once again virtually the whole show was the "Aston Villa in crisis" show. This radio station has dedicated virtually it's entire day broadcasting about our club. It's had fans on the entire day representing our entire fan base so not just us natives in Brum. They were from Dublin,London and the South West and every single call I heard was "WE WANT HOULLIER OUT". They've also had some very high profile former Villa players interviewed and again all (but in nicer more professional terms) say the same thing - HOULLIER OUT.

General you need to take notice of all this. A national radio station has dedicated it's entire day to the Houllier crisis. Fans from all 4 corners of the country have rang in all day to voice the anger. They ran a poll and it was overwhelming in favour of Houllier out.

One final thing General... One of the presenters on the drive time programme had this to say.. (not word for word)..

"This is massive, this could be the biggest high profile casualty since the formation of the premier league. Aston Villa are one of the BIG BOYS. Your talking about one of the biggest clubs not only in England but Europe with a massive fan base, massive history, and massive traditions. They're former European Champions who belong in the top 4 not the bottom 4 to see them relegated would rip the heart and soul at of this magnificent institution of English football"

I nearly cried when I heard this General and I urge Randy and the board to act before it's too late.

[blandy]

General Krulak's thread is for Q&A, the raising of issues and the passing of info two ways ONLY. It is NOT for discussions or banter between posters. Please look to see if your question has already been asked or answered before posting. ....Posts which direct abuse or invective against anyone are not permitted and will be deleted....hard questions are welcome...the good, bad and ugly... If... any are too incendiary, he just won't answer them.... please understand that comments made on the thread either by Fans or himself are "fair game" to the media and ...the club may wish to avoid certain issues as a result.