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

[makouns_grin]

Hello General.

How come it seems most other clubs shirts are announced towards the end of the season, whilst ours year after year takes a blumin age?

Many thanks.

[SonicVillan]

Hello General,

All in all the season ended up ok in the end, didn't it? Looking forward to an eventful summer one way or another.

I've designed a banner (that is still in the draft stages at the minute - people obviously have different opinions about who should feature on it), that I would love to drape across the Trinity Road for next season, similar to the iconic banners across the North and Holte Ends'. I'd obviously love to get this finalised and printed int ime for next season and somebody suggested I should post it on here to see if we can get the ball rolling! What do you think (For what it's worth, Ian Taylor has seen it on Twitter and approved!)?

The theme is to go from our greatest players towards more recent legends, building on the 'Proud History, Bright Future' motif. So far, the line-up is:

Spink, Little, Shaw, Cowans, Withe, Mortimer, McGrath, Taylor, Mellberg, Laursen, Agbonlahor

Full size version: http://tinyurl.com/3gewzw7

Hope you like it! I certainly think it would add something to Villa Park!

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. As everyone has said, a great end to the season!!! At the same time, reality also stares us in the face. We ended well but the season remains one of widely varying emotions. I confess to be happy it is behind us.

2. Re. The tribunal. The announcement is all there is to say.

3. The three "key" questions: I believe all will be answered shortly. Obviously it is not good for anyone involved to have these issues drawn out. The kit will be out in a timely manner as will decision on sponsor. Likewise the Manager decision will be made in a timely manner...of course we need to hear what the doctors have to say. Our concerns are obviously over the health of our Manager...his health is something we should all be concerned about...we all want him healthy.

4. A very nice banner....BUT, how do we determine who is on it? A contest?

[dudevillaisnice]

Thanks General..

oh and regarding the annoucement surely if it's a club statement regarding the matter it's better to have it on the OS?

[villa4europe]

4. A very nice banner....BUT, how do we determine who is on it? A contest?

a preliminary website vote where we send in suggestions narrowing it down to a shortlist of around 20 followed by a txt vote to get the final players, the proceeds going to acorns? £1 a txt should raise a decent amount of cash

and general i echo the kit announcement comments, we are now one of 4 remaining prem teams who havent done some sort of kit press, once again we are late compared to everyone else

we could even make it worse if mid june we do an all singing all dancing press release of the shirt that leaked, if we have got that shirt then the delay is a mix of pointless and stupid

[Alec]

General Krulak here:

Likewise the Manager decision will be made in a timely manner...of course we need to hear what the doctors have to say. Our concerns are obviously over the health of our Manager...his health is something we should all be concerned about...we all want him healthy.

General,

Good to hear from you - hope all is well.

My main concern at this point is the whole issue of waiting on the results of medical reports to determine our next course of action. As I understand it, Mr. Houllier was required to obtain medical clearance in order to commence work at Villa back in September and if the doctors couldn't foresee the problems that have prevented him from attending matches during the latter part of the season then I don't see how anybody can realistically expect to draw confidence from any similar clearance issued in the days or weeks ahead. Thus, any decision to persist with Mr. Houllier as manager will be perceived as naive at best and willfully ignorant at worst. It would also represent a clear and emphatic signal that Mr. Lerner and the board are willing to gamble the security and stability of the club at a time when we simply cannot afford to lose any more ground on rivals who have overtaken us in the last twelve months.

The mistakes and misfortune of last season will quickly be forgotten if sensible, decisive action is taken and the club appears to be readying itself for a serious attempt to reclaim a position among the top six. The 'timely manner' you refer to will not give supporters a great deal of comfort in light of the pace the club typically takes in making key decisions and presenting them to the public and I fear that you will find patience - a commodity always in short supply when it comes to football fans under normal circumstances - will wear out very quickly as long as a decision/formal announcement is delayed.

I am sure there is a role for Mr. Houllier at the club but it must not be as manager. I wish him as speedy and full a recovery as he is able to make following the nature of his illness, but for his own good as much as the club's, he must not be allowed to take on the full responsibility of first team affairs again, regardless of what any series of test results suggests. The club has more than enough evidence from the last nine months - both health-wise and performance-wise - to make a prompt decision so this ongoing procrastination is very worrying.

If that seems like an exaggeration given the season only concluded on Sunday, and whilst I don't wish for us to start conducting our business with the callousness of Roman Abramovich, the stark reality is that Chelsea started planning for next season the minute the final whistle blew at the weekend. I don't approve of the way they go about a lot of things but they have sent out a message that they are not prepared to accept under-performance and have given themselves maximum time to rebuild in good time before pre-season. Their agenda is also admittedly quite different to ours at present but I am desperate to see Villa start looking serious, prioritising performance over all else and that is not the impression emanating from the club at the moment. For too long, we have remained the diffident nice guys of the Premier League, satisfied with respectability without ever genuinely threatening to take a share of the spoils. If we decide to keep faith with a manager who may not be able to attend all of our matches when the pressure is on - and the pressure is always on in this league - the club may as well formally announce they are ultimately not motivated by success but merely satisfied with maintaining a place at the table.

It's very easy for supporters to play the 'ambition card' but this situation may very well prove to be the public litmus test of Mr. Lerner's expectations for the club. And right now we need to be inspired by a sense of renewed hunger - something that will be best embodied by a new figurehead who feels his ambitions can be realised here. The swifter we act, the greater our options will be. So, in light of the fact I have to form my argument around a question, are you comfortable with the perception rapidly forming that the club are allowing the most important decision it will make this summer to be dictated by doctors than by its own ability to evaluate what is all too evident for everyone else to see?

Many thanks.

[lapal_fan]

Hi General,

I was listening to the radio today and the chairman of Forest Green Rovers (A team in the Blue Square Premier team) had an interesting discussion about the sustainability of their club. I am a Energy Advisor and was interested to listen to what he had to say, and most of it was very basic but very effective in ways of saving the club money, mostly in terms of energy usage.

I was wondering if 'Our' club is doing anything in the way of Energy Saving, and if not, is there anything we as fans could do or, could you/do you need assistance from outside companies to look into ways which Aston Villa could become more self-sustaining with regards to Environmental Sustainability?

[Loyalvillan]

General

I dont want a reply and this may be deleted by the Mods although the rules say "no transfer questions" and this is not a question,its a statement, i would just like to put my 2 bobs worth in with regard to the rumors circulating about Villa being linked with Joey Barton.

i understand that everyone makes mistakes and it about learning from em and not repeating it again...think its called "growing up" This is something that Barton has never done!!

Barton has showed that he is slime time and time again and everyone who wants this guy can never have a go at any Football player again for thinking he is better than us Average Joes or being above the law every again.

You yourself have been proud to state that we are a Club with morals ( i am paraphrasing of course)but my view is that if we do try to sign this toad the Club and youself are simply validating everything he has done.

Many thanks

[villafc82]

General, I'm so frustrated I could really snap!

I'm only a student so money is tight as it is but last season I bought my first ever season ticket. Two weeks later (5 days before the season starts) Martin O'Neill and all the management staff leave us in a huge mess! This year, I renewed my season ticket two days ago thinking "surely lightning will not strike twice and I will not be wasting my money." Well despite the manager situation, one thing we were all certain of was that our player of the year (Stewart Downing) was staying at the club and signing a new deal. Villa have publicly stated he is close to signing a new deal, Downing has spoken publicly saying he wants to stay & I actually believed everything that he and the club said. I've bought my ticket thinking everything is starting to fall into place at my club. However, suddenly Stewart Downing is quoted in the press tonight saying he's NOT signing a new deal and wants Champions League football. Do the Aston Villa really think the fans all have "MUGS!" written on our foreheads?

Our best player is not signing a new deal and is hinting that he's ready to leave just TWO WEEKS after saying he wanted to stay. What has changed? Who has spoken to him from Villa? Clearly they have done an awful job and are driving him out of the club in a similar fashion to Ashley Young.

I want to know what's happened!! Has he been tapped up? Or are Aston Villa planning on selling every top player we have? Gareth Barry, James Milner and now Ashley Young and soon to be the next sale - Stewart Downing! If this is the future of Aston Villa every single summer then please do me a favour, help me cancel my season ticket renewal before it comes in the post and save me my money (that could be put to better use) from having to sit through another year waving goodbye to any star player who plays well for our club for one season. If we are now just a selling club looking to make a small profit on each player then please tell us all so we can stop wasting our time and money!

I'm no mug and if Downing really is off then that will be four times in a row our present best player has been sold by this supposedly 'ambitious' club and owner. I can see exactly what is going on and I want to know what the hell Aston Villa are playing at and why you are taking such a boring and unsuccessful route for this great clubs future! Selling every good player only sends us one way, BACKWARDS! (As you have found out this season).

Two weeks does not change a players mind from "staying" to going, when in that time our only two match results were wins against Arsenal & Liverpool. Who has spoken to Downing to force him to change his mind about his future and what has been said? I would really love to know! Yet again Aston Villa frustrate all of their fans, keep them in the dark and set them up for a big disappointment!

Please reply to me because if we are now officially a selling club for Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham then I would like my money back asap! Seeing Gareth Barry and James Milner break off contract talks and leave was bad enough, but to have Ashley Young do exactly the same has pissed off a lot of people! To hear that Stewart Downing is now doing exactly the same thing is the last straw! If all of these great players are all leaving it does make us wonder, why are they leaving if our club really is ambitious as Randy Lerner, Paul Faulkner and yourself keep making out?

Are you simply lieing to us? Because having so many players say that they want Champions League football and then leaving (thinking that they have not a chance in hell of achieving that here) speaks for itself. If our own star players do not believe that this club has what it takes to succeed then what is the point in us backing Aston Villa year after year?

Please answer me that.

[AngelGabriel]

Have to agree with the above post General - Downing said he owed the club so much and hyped up the talks of a new deal, sadly according to this interview he's stalling and drops a hint he wants out to go to a club with Champions League football...sounds like someone has tapped him up, its obvious he is planting little seeds in the media for other clubs (Liverpool) to take notice.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/9048541.Downing_in_England_fold_and_he_intends_to_stay/?

Struan Marshall is Steven Gerrard's agent by the way, so that could be a hint!

Barry, Milner, Ashley Young, Friedel (whos off to the scousers or Tottenham apparently) and now Downing, who do we have in the pipeline General? Or was the 5 year plan meaning to take it up the backside from clubs. AMBITION has now become so cliche I'm sick of hearing it - Maybe I can see why Doug sold the club to Randy.

[claretandblue77]

Morning General.

I'm not gonna rant like the last to post's but am also worried if above is true.

My question is who is in charge of contract renewal's, as it seems that we seem to let players contracts run down to the last 1 - 2 years when we have little power left.

I.E Barry left with 1 year to go, Milner had 2, A.Young has 1 and seems to be on his way, and downing has to and if rumours are to be believed could also be looking for the exit door.

Now players come and go and regardless of this i will always follow and support my team, but it is getting a little worrying that we are allowing players to run down there contract or not doing anything to get them signed up before they enter the last year or two.

In the summer MoN left and A.young came out on tv and stated he'd sign a new contract if it was put in front of him, this never happened.

I just hope we are about to make a serious statement ie new manager or players that will make the rest of the league take notice, IE a top draw manager (ancelotti :winkold: :winkold: ).

Anyway im not sure you saw my previous post about frame pictures so if you could have a look and possible get me the answer i'd be grateful as would love to get my hands on some of the older ones we had a few years ago.

[SonicVillan]

General Krulak here:

4. A very nice banner....BUT, how do we determine who is on it? A contest?

Many thanks General!

Here is the VT thread, from my first concept through to the design that I showed you: http://tinyurl.com/3q4g4bm (it's 6 pages long and I recognise that you're a busy man, this is more just to illustrate that we're now in a position where most people seem happy with the players featured). I'm happy to design it according to votes, though - for a start I'd very much like to get Tony Morley on there!

I like Villa4Europe's suggestion to finalise the design as it helps Acorns, which is always a good thing and would generate some publicity for the banner unveiling.

[Maradona10]

General, If and when we sign players in the future, can their be a smallprint in the players contracts, that they have to sign an extension or pay the club 50Million, possibly the only way it'll stop our players from taking the biscuit.

[wedge]

General,

If the great Aston Villa Football Club, my beloved team, sign a scumbag like Joey Barton, who while not being fit to lace someone like Barry Bannan's boots, is also a criminal, then that will be it from my point of view.

[T.Daley]

General, thanks for the 4 years under MON. He has been heavily criticised by many for the way he dealt with player contracts and transfers, but at least under him the club seemed to have an ambition, some fight and grit, and a glimmer of breaking into the elite of the English clubs, and delivering the much talked about 5 year plan (which started 5 years ago?!)

So what is the new plan, yes Man City have moved the goal posts completely, but the other BIG teams have not changed their strategy (Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal Spurs and Liverpool). In fact some have also come up against obstacles, but still look like they are moving in the right direction, still clearly are going to be in the pack for the Champions League and the actual league title next year. Already Chelsea have taken action with their manager, Liverpool have given a permanent deal to Dalglish. Now I might be missing the point here, comparing Villa to these clubs, but I always thought thats the playground Randy wanted and BELIEVED Villa should and would be playing in.

So here we at the end of a truly shocking season (compared to the MON era), unsure who are manager is going to be, unsure what the hell this club is supposed to be aiming for, unsure who of our top 4 or 5 players will be here next season. If as fans (the one consistent in this club) are unsure, in fact no idea of what our strategy now is, then I would take a punt that our top players don’t. I am sorry but I will use the Downing story as an example, his comments have hit the press today…if true, and they seem to be, then what are we doing to keep our player of the season, our England International. Is he not being offered enough money, is our ‘YTS CEO’ not selling the clubs new 5 year plan to him, does he not believe in the list of targets we are after?

Football is now (unfortunately) all about money, if we are still serious of breaking into the elite, then lets get the right manager in, stop dithering…Houllier is a nice bloke, but cant cope with the stresses of a multi billion pound industry. Get our top players onto decent contracts, show them we mean business. Bolster the squad with players that enhance the starting 11, Bent was a step forward, but 3 or 4 more will only keep us on a par, nevermind take us forward. And finally give is an idea what the hell is going on!

Or lets just admit that we cant compete with the big boys (and never really could) and get use to mid table and the occasional cup run (lets not play the reserves again eh?). If this is the case fine, but please please tell us what we should expect. Its getting a bit boring now.

UTV

[VillaRoy]

Without sounding like a knee jerk reaction to the Downing news and Liverpools new American money, has Randy Lerner ever considered a financial partnership, similar to the NESV group at Liverpool, to allow Villa to financially compete in the the top 5/6 of the premier league?

I do not question the efforts and money put in by Randy. Over the past years Randy investment in the club and players has been fantastic, but it appears now that the scene in English football has changed yet again, with more clubs finding "big" investment. The scene in the premier league is a lot different to 4/5 years ago. The outside viewpoint is, we are at a crossroads. We can refer to the Darren Bent buy as being a sign of being able to comepete finanically with the big boys, but then again, that could also be seen as the reinvestment of the Milner money and the lack of spending last summer.

[villafc82]

I want an answer General.

Gareth Barry was our captain, playing fantastic football and entered contract negotiations. Villa told us Randy Lerner was going to do all he could to convince Gareth that his goal could be accomplished with Aston Villa. He left. Randy failed to convince him.

James Milner was our star player, he was at centre stage of the 6th biggest club in English football, he was on the brink of becoming an England regular and came within touching distance of the Carling Cup, FA Cup and a Champions League spot. He had the chance to sign a contract to make him Aston Villa's biggest ever paid player and push on. Randy Lerner promised us to convince James to sign a new deal. He rejected the contract and left. Randy failed to convince him.

Ashley Young is a top quality player, he has stated time and time again that he wanted to win medals. He told us he was staying and wanted a new deal. The club responded and offered him a new contract. Randy Lerner spoke to him in the contract talks to tell Ashley what Aston Villa's goal are for the time he would be staying at the club. After the talks Ashley Young makes a complete U-turn and stalls on a contract. This summer he is expected to leave Aston Villa. Randy failed to convince someone to stay who wanted to stay at the club anyway.

This summer Stewart Downing said that he was staying at Aston Villa even if we got relegated. He wanted to sign a new deal because he felt he "owed" the club after spending (at the time) a club record fee on him (whilst injured with a broken foot). We have turned his career around and got him into the England squad on a regular basis. Two weeks ago he wanted to stay. Since the seasons end he has been in contract negotiations and has no doubt spoken to Randy Lerner. After these talks he has come to the conclusion that he isn't signing a new contract and hints that he is ready to jump to another club.

My question is, with every star player we have wanting to sign a new contrcat and then speaking to Randy Lerner, why is it that they are all now making complete U-turns on their decisions and immediately leaving the club? They say they are leaving to win medals and trophies, play Champions League football and win titles. Isn't that what Randy Lerner is trying to make Aston Villa achieve? Then why is it that with two parties both having the same goals, after speaking to one another, all of the top players that we have at Aston Villa are all leaving to achieve those goals elsewhere?

If Randy Lerner is to sell Ashley Young and Stewart Downing before the 2012/2013 season begins then I want a new chairman of Aston Villa Football Club. We will get no where in football if Randy Lerner, year after year after year after year keeps selling every valuable asset that has a rival club chasing his signature! It's boring! It's frustrating! It's unambitious and I'm sick of it!

What is your response?

[tc1980]

General - Don't really post on here but always read the fans comments. All I ask is that this managerial situation is sorted out sooner rather than later, when Randy first arrived I prided myself on the new professionalism sweeping through Villa Park and believe me other fans and pundits looked at Villa as an example to others. Unfortunately events over the last 12 months have made Villa fans reluctantly remember the dark days of the past.

I'm not a fan of Mr Houllier but if he is to stay I for one will get behind the team next season.

Enjoy the summer!

[thamutznutz]

Hi General

I don't often post on here - in fact the last time I did may have been around the time of the £30m on a single player quote... and I may or may not have been who you were responding to Sorry for all that!

Anyway - This is my third season holding a villa season ticket, Upper Trinity - the most expensive. I moved to London just over a year ago and yet I still returned for every single home game making the cost in time, tickets and petrol somewhat more substantial. Now I have been praying for Darren Bent for a few seasons now, with all our great midfielders providing service but nobody to finish it off, he has seemed the obvious choice for some time now - and how happy I was when he signed (thank Randy for that one will you?!).

However... (yes it was always coming)... when I bought my first season ticket I was sold a dream of champions league football, and as somewhat of a PR man yourself you must realise the power that dream can hold. It is this same dream of champions league football that has been our downfall though. By this I mean that every single year since I have spent quite a substantial amount of money on villa we have sold out best player; first Barry, then Milner, now we seem to trying to up our game to losing our two best players in one window rather than the traditional one.

Now I am all for youth, Albrighton is actually my favourite player now and I can see great things in Clarke, but are we really now destined to be a feeder club? When Albrighton sets the premiership alight next season, is all I have to look forward to the summer, where we inevitably sell him along with Bent? I realise that MON did not understand that a bench shouldn't cost more than your starting XI and that he really dropped us in it and that the first half of this season we suffered injuries like no other team, but really what is the plan... is there a goal?

Man City were a game changer I know... Man Utd will never fail under Ferguson and if they get Jose then long will they reign and Roman Admittedly seems to have deeper pockets than Randy. All of those things are fine, they are things I have come to accept, but I think that 4th spot is possible, we threw it away a couple of seasons ago, we were so close! I know it is not always in Villa's hands to keep a player if he wants to go, but what are we doing to make them want to stay, find as good or if not better replacements (as opposed to Milner for Ireland).

Apologies for the ramble, I know you do a great job for the club and I know Randy isn't a sheik with a bank account that just has a little infinity sign in it - This is my passion like I hope it is yours and I am just hoping for a response that is more than just spin and buzz words. I'm not asking for any specific names, I already hear from a reliable source that we are in talks with one player who is quite exciting but I'm more looking for an "all funds from players sold will be reinvested", "we are looking to bring in Ancelloti who will attract some starts", "We are going to sign our stars for 5 years plus rather than 3 years and letting them go for a fraction of the price when they only have a year left"... Etc...

Just a passionate villain hoping to be convinced to renew his season ticket....

[Razor]

Hi General,

Another day, another crusing blow to the kidneys with the news that our player of the season won't be signing a new contract. If the managerial situation had been sorted then maybe not all our best players would be thinking about leaving? You say you will sort the manager situation quickly but it's already been FAR too long and i can see it just dragging on until the depressing conclusion of Houllier staying. Please just get Ancelotti & Wilkins in now, he said he would manage WEST HAM so why isn't he our manager yet?