General Krulak (No Transfer Questions allowed)

[ianrobo1]

got the ST info pack today and it is certainly different from other years General.

Earlier on I was sceptical but I think the one we have got is quality and different ...

[privateer]

General Krulak here:

1. The Aston Hotel (north end of Villa Park) is not owned by Villa....it was not part of the purchase.

Aaah, that explains something - why we were referring to it by different names! They are different places! The hostelry you are referring to is still a going concern behind the North Stand. The one I was asking about has been closed for years and is largely shrouded by advertising hoardings now. It is, I suppose, south-south-east of Villa Park. Adjacent to the church, and what was the car park and pretty much underneath the motorway and is called the Aston Tavern. However, I guess this means that it wasn't part of the purchase anyway, which is a real pity - generations of Villa fans have whetted their pre-match whistle there.

When you find you all have a little less on your plate in future perhaps it can be subject to some of Randy's patented regeneration magic!?

[Rocafella]

Dear General

1) Were there any players who turned us down in the January window (whom we have not heard of)?

I am thinking about bids for players who have refused to talk to us, but with little or no mention in

the media. I guess those sneaky bastards get hold of everything but you never know...

2) I know you are not able to talk about specific players on our list this time, but how does it really

work when MON wants to sign this and that player? Does he hand a piece of paper with 1) to 10)

with targets and a rating of how much he wants them ? Seriously though, do we have reason to

expect bigger things compared to what is mentioned in the transfer thread? Let's say MON wanted

to sign a top European striker for 20M, would that be a fee within reach for our club nowadays? The

reason I am asking these questions is because we are linked with many players that "every" club around

us can afford really. I would also like to mention that every Villa-fan have blind faith in the work going

on this summer, we are once again proud without really thinking why we have reason to be proud

Thanks for your time.

[villabromsgrove]

General,as a commander of fighting men you know the value of a battle hymn, anyone who has heard the kop at Liverpool singing "you'll never walk alone" will testify to it's effect on big occasions.

We at Villa lack this kind of an anthem. If you have ever listened to the BBCs annual Last night of the proms you cannot have failed to be moved by the rousing rendition of the "English anthem" Land of hope and glory that always closes the evening, it is awesome. The poem is about pride and history in the land that we call home. With that in mind I've adapted a version that I believe could be sung loud and proud by Villa fans.

LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY, MOTHER OF THE FREE,

HOME TO ASTON VILLA, HOLTE AND TRINITY,

repeat

HOME TO ASTON VILLA, HOLTE AND TRINITY.

WIDER STILL AND WIDER SHALL OUR FAME BE SPREAD,

GOD WHO MADE US MIGHTY, MAKE US MIGHTIER YET,

repeat

GOD WHO MADE US MIGHTY, MAKE US MIGHTIER YET.

LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY, MOTHER OF THE FREE,

BURNING BRIGHT OUR FUTURE, PROUDEST HISTORY,

repeat

BURNING BRIGHT OUR FUTURE, PROUDEST HISTORY.

You have to listen to a tape of the proms as I have been doing tonight to feel the full spinetingling impact of thousands of voices singing this to the tune of Elgars Pomp and Circumstance. I guarantee General if you were able to have this embellished and recorded by a male voice choir and then played it at the opening of the Holte End hotel you would bring the house down! (perhaps not the best choice of words given the hotels recent history).

Villa fans need a positive voice in the stadium General and what better than the proudest and most rousing anthem that the English possess.

[thetrees]

General Krulak here:

1. The Aston Hotel (north end of Villa Park) is not owned by Villa....it was not part of the purchase.

Aaah, that explains something - why we were referring to it by different names! They are different places! The hostelry you are referring to is still a going concern behind the North Stand. The one I was asking about has been closed for years and is largely shrouded by advertising hoardings now. It is, I suppose, south-south-east of Villa Park. Adjacent to the church, and what was the car park and pretty much underneath the motorway. However, I guess this means that it wasn't part of the purchase anyway, which is a real pity - generations of Villa fans have whetted their pre-match whistle there.

When you find you all have a little less on your plate in future perhaps it can be subject to some of Randy's patented regeneration magic!?

Just to assist, the hostelry being referred to is/was the Aston Tavern

[fergie69]

General when can we expect to hear about some new players being signed ? I don't want to know who or how much just give us a bit of info about when please.

2. I don't think I should talk about MON and where he might have traveled and whether he might be announcing players deals before transfer. This is really in the baliwick of MON and I am not sure he would want any of us discussing this over the web site.....

4. During the previous transfer window, I received hundreds of questions re. who? what? when? and where? I tried to be very clear that this was strictly between MON and Randy....that no one else is involved. MON knows what the team needs, both short and long term, he knows where they are located and availability. Randy is there to support MON...not to weigh in on who? For me to even BEGIN to pass information on this site or any other would NOT be right or proper. Sooooo....this is one type of question that I am not going to answer.

Please read what the General has said on this, and respect his wish. thanks, blandy

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. The Aston Tavern was not part of the deal...so we have no plans for it at the present time.

2. Thank you for the info on the anthem....I will put that one into the "works."

3. MON and players. Let me state, for the umpteenth time, how this works. MON evaluates his squad. He looks at where we are strong and where we might need help. He looks in terms of immediate help and what we will need in the future....not much sense in paying a large amount for a player who only has one or two years left unless he is a HUGE talent. He and his scouts have been out looking year-round. They identify those they would like and then determine eligibility. MON and Randy then get together and decide who to go after and at what price. Randy does NOT get into evaluating players...that is MON's remit. Randy supported MON in the winter and he will support him in the summer. It would make absolutely no sense for me to quote an amount of money that Randy and MON will lay out this summer...I have no idea, it is none of my business and it certainly would not be smart if I did know. My recommendation is that everyone just try and relax and see what happens. None of us are going to impact on what happens and we shouldn't....we have a great Manager and a great Owner...we should let them work their magic.

[pablopicasso]

general, quick question about the holte hotel redevelopment....

i seem to recall a high figure of 8 million being banded around for the cost of the renovation of the holte hotel,, due to the structural work, etc, that had to be undertaken...

is this the case?

if not, what is a closer figure to the cost of the renovation?

i ask, because its handy to know when other clubs fans question randys input into the club, because the information is not being spoonfed to them by the media....

cheers...

[V111AFC]

General

Just want to emphasis the point 'bromsgroveavfc' just made. What a superb idea. We need an anthem. and this is the best their is.

If you have a moment, watch this :

Forget all the instruments, interludes, and bobbing up and down. The impact this would have on the ground would be immense. Imagine replacing all those union jack flags with villa flags or scarves, with 43000 people singing it.

This is a superb issue brought up and could make villa park a very special arena.

Cheers

[Villan4Life]

Hi General,

Would you be kind enough to look at this topic i posted elsewhere?

Please use short links, it's really not difficult

Could we have the reserves and youth team stats on the O/S so that we can see who the core of future Villa players will be and their stats?

As don't think the O/S has ever provided this info before and it's something thats never in the Matchday Programme

Something similar to what the Barcodes have done would be great for reading and finding out info/contract and appearances

and here

and here

[Hev]

General, Elgar, the composer of Pomp and Circumstance (Land of Hope and Glory) lived in a village called Lower Broadheath in Worcestershire - so there is a "local" connection too.

Grievemeister - wasn't the one we used to sing years ago "We hate Nottingham Forest, We hate (whoever - maybe it was Albion) too we hate Birmingham City, but Villa we love you"?

[NurembergVillan]

A few posts edited and deleted folks. We're making a concerted effort to keep the thread on track, and to help the General not have to trawl through lots of posts to find the "golden nuggets".

Some posts had already been addressed (such as the question around standing areas - it's against the law), other posts weren't specific to the General.

If a post in here sparks a thought around something you want to discuss, by all means start a new thread in the Villa Talk section.

Thanks for your support and understanding.

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Re. stats on Youth Team. I think the best thing to do here is to call up Phil Mepham at the Club and pose the question to him. He can get the stats if they are available and able to be passed out.

[DANNY_DYER]

General,

This anthem business, forget the other suggestions let's come out to this at Villa Park, I reckon you'll like it :winkold:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GSKL5E3zSjs

[Demitri_C]

general a question on the current squad. who has impressed you in your first season?

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. One of the toughest things about an anthem is that there are so many choices....and some will be happy, others not so happy.

2. The person who has impressed me the most has been, as you might expect, MON. You might say that "he isn't on the Squad" or "that is an easy way out" but I would disagree. In many ways, MON is not only a true squad member, but he is the foundation of the squad. His personality, focus, drive, intelligence, and honesty impose themselves on the Squad and, in the end, will transform the Squad into what we all want....consistent winners. His choice is not the "easy way out"...his choice is a well-thought out answer to the question.

[paulanddonya]

Gen.

With all the take overs going on at the moment, inc. us, West ham, Man U, Liverpool, Man C, Newcastle etc... , have you met many of the new owners of the other clubs and, although you almost certainly wouldn't be able to name names, are their any that you feel are buying into the clubs for the wrong reasons ??.

Also, is this something that Randy was expecting when he bought us as it seems there will now be at least 10 teams that are on a par with us financially - and if so, has this changed the champions league expectations at all.

And I echo Land of Hope and Glory - awe inspiring and if you want to see the effect, get a video of the Wolves Albion play off game where it was sung beforehand

[PW]

May have been asked so I apologise if it has General, but are there any plans for us to have closer links to the women's team? maybe the vets also?

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Yes, I have met several of the owners. No, we have not changed our expectations.

2. Yes, we ae going to have closer links to the women's team.

[Witton_Lane]

General Krulak here:

2. The person who has impressed me the most has been, as you might expect, MON. You might say that "he isn't on the Squad" or "that is an easy way out" but I would disagree. In many ways, MON is not only a true squad member, but he is the foundation of the squad. His personality, focus, drive, intelligence, and honesty impose themselves on the Squad and, in the end, will transform the Squad into what we all want....consistent winners. His choice is not the "easy way out"...his choice is a well-thought out answer to the question.

OK then General, lets ask you a question that stands less chance of getting you into trouble

Which goal scored by Villa this season impressed you the most, or excited you the most? Easy one for me it was Carews first goal for us at VP - combined with his all round play I just knew that at last we'd got a proper striker.