General Krulak (No Transfer Questions allowed)

[PompeyVillan]

3. We have seen no problem with work permit.

Does that mean Villa have recieved confirmation that Guzan has been given a work permit, or that you have heard nothing? Sorry to squeeze you for info, but us fans are hungry! :-)

[Taylo]

General - I seem to remember some time ago there being some talk of Randy spending more time over here than in the states - is he setting up home over here full time or will he still be based mainly in the States this season and get over as often as possible?

[paulanddonya]

Gen

I understand, and as the person who wrote after me - I agree, but it is soooo bloody frustrating !!!.

I am a simple guy, not a multi millionaire - and I just get frustrated with day after day of waiting. In my simple eyes, I am thinking, if it takes so long to conduct transfer business - then why can everyone get it done in 31 days less bank holidays in january ??

Anyway - rhetorical question, dont want it answering.

Friedel, myself 85% happy with that one (if it is true of course), definately in the top 5 goalies of the last 5 yrs in the Prem. and you could argue, maybe even THE best last year - I just worry about the age side of it - its been seen many a time (and Lehmann at Arsenal is a good example) that once a goalie starts to lose the reflexes - they go rapidly.

BUT - saying that - even if we only get one season of Freidal at his best - he could be the difference between Top 10 and Top 4 next year, coz at his best, he is unbeatable - as we have found to our own cost on MANY occasions !! (last year being one - it took a wonder freekick from Young to beat him after bombarding him for 90 mins !!)

[DalianDaley]

Hello again General

I have a couple of questions regarding transfers

-Firstly, do you think that AVFC's squeaky clean nature regarding transfers puts us at a disadvantage compared to some other Premiership clubs? (not that i would want it any other way!) It seems that tapping up and agent bungs are rife in the game, and when you see how easily some clubs/managers make signings it often begs the question was everything strictly legitimate.

-Secondly, MON is obviously a great manager who is making great strides forward with this club, but that does not mean he is infallible in all areas. When we initially signed him as a manager i was driving to Glasgow on a daily basis and was told by every Celtic fan I met that he was a great man/manager, but i'd better not have a weak heart come the transfer window as everything seemed to be crammed in last minute.

Would it not benefit us if we had a system where by Mr O'neil picked the players he wanted, then a dedicated team of buyers did the bidding/club negotiations, then the reigns handed back to MON for the players contract negotiations?

[A.V.F.C]

General, obviously as you say you can't speak for MON or the squad...but is there any way this can eventually be forgotten, maybe a Barry apology or whatever. Liverpool can't afford him and as we go on day by day it's painfully more obvious. They're about to sign Keane and if they couldn't afford GB before how on earth are they going to now. Gareth backed himself into a stupid corner with the newspapers comments, but I'd like to think given the chance if they sat down and spoke, MON and Barry could sort things out. They clearly don't like eachother much right now but am sure there is still a lot of mutual respect.

Players have done worse than Gareth and recovered at their clubs. I was all for getting rid of him, but now it's coming to it...he's one of our best players and we can't afford to lose him. A few good performances most fans would forget, or at least forgive. Do you think theres any chance?

[L33ped]

Hi General,

Looking forward to the new season, kit & sponsor look great, Sidwell / Guzan & (Hopefully) Friedel are all quality signings and the ground is looking good.

I drive passed the ground every morning on my way into work and being a season ticket holder in the Holte I was wondering whether the external steps leading up to the stand were due for a jet spray / clean?

I know it is an extremely minor point and feel a bit silly for suggesting it by considering we have spent so much money making the ground look great it would be a shame to not get someone in to jet spray all the grime of the Holte steps and really finish the job off!

Keep up the good work, MON, Randy and yourself are the best thing thats ever happened to the club and a major part of the reason I have been a season ticket holder for the last 2 years!

Thanks

[stevenjos]

Hi General i posted a question a while back and i think it got missed (forgve me if it wasnt)

Basically. On the Aston Expressway facing Villa Park there is a barrier of Yellowy Mouldy Plastic which blocks the view of the Holte end and the Ground.

Could you work with the council to replace this with clear plastic or bars as i think it would give everyone going in and out of Birmingham a view of the beautiful Holte!

[Rodders]

Hi General,

Received the home kit today, and it's fantastic - thanks to all concerned!

[cheltenham_villa]

General

I know you dont get involved with transfers but could you confirm if we are the club that have had a bid accepted for Friedel. Accepted bids are normally reported on the OS (as was the case with Sidwell and Guzan) but i havent seen anything as yet.

[GaztonVilla]

General,

With the new shirt being available from today, it's time for me to retire last seasons shirt..

What are the chances of me getting this autographed before I hang it up for good?

G.

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Randy is building a small home in the vicinity of Bodymoor Heath and he will be spending more time in the UK.

2. No problem with work permit means just that. We have not been told that there will be any difficulty.

3. I am not as experienced as most of you but the January transfer window is somewhat different from the Summer window. More restricted, Clubs in the hunt are not prepared to give up players, ability to get the better players somewhat more difficult. I am not sure that comparing both windows is something that will benefit any of us.

4. DaliumDaly: "Squeaky clean a disadvantage"? I am not sure...it may well be a disadvantage. That doesn't change our approach one iota. Just because someone else does something illegal is not a reason for your Club to do the same. Of course MON is not infalliable. The last person who walked this earth that could make that claim ended up on a cross. What MON is...he is the Manager of our Club. "MON pick the players and a dedicated team of buyers goes out and gets the player." This is not the way MON operates nor does he want to operate that way. Randy is prepared to support MON in EVERY WAY he can...more than just money...but MON is the Manager and is being paid to be the Manager. If he wants to do things his way, it can easily be viewed as micromanagement if Randy all of a sudden says, "you are no longer in this part of the business"...particularly if MON wants to do it.

5. AVFC: Of course Barry and the Club will reconcile their differences...they are all professionals. It has obviously been a tough time for all concerned but, at the end of the day, they are pros and will do the right thing.

6. L33ped: I am not sure about steam cleaning stairs but will ask. The issue, of course, is always one of priorities. Certainly cleaning the inside of the stadium was critical and we did that last year.

7: Would not be appropriate for me to comment of transfers by name.

8. GastonVilla: will do!!!

9. For the saturday Intertoto fixture, the Holte Pub and Holte Suite will be closed. Unfortunately, we had tow weddings which were booked before the Intertoto match had been scheduled. I am sure you can appreciate that to these couples (and supporters), this day is very special to them. As an alternative, the Academy will be open to STH's, first come, first served.

[GaztonVilla]

General Krulak here:

8. GastonVilla: will do!!!

Thanks General.. But, how? Send it to you c/o Villa Park?

[Stevo985]

Hi General.

I asked this a few pages back but I think you may have overlooked it.

Are you going to be at the Intertoto game on Saturday. if so will you be doing a walkabout around the ground? Would be great to catch a glimpse of the man himself!

[TheSufferingVilla]

Delighted to hear the Holte Hotel is getting bookings for Weddings, it's too lovely a venue to be sitting unused for much of the summer.

General I have a question about professional development for our younger players. I'm always dissapointed when I see a young footballer being interviewed only to notice they lack the basic skills of presentation and delivery. In fact many young English players ours included don't seem to be able to string together a coherant sentence. This is in stark contrast to their continental counterparts whom from what I can see are prepared for a life in the spotlight from a young age. People will always jump on the class bandwagon and say you can't compare English footballers to the likes of eloquent Rugby players or Cricket players because the footballers are working class as opposed to the public schoolboys of the other games but thats rubbish. The apparent class divide doesn't seem to affect players from other countries many of whom probably had a lot less schooling.

Most of today and tomorrows English stars are in football academies from a very young age and it's obvious the academies are not preparing the young lads for a life in the glaring media spotlight. Does the Villa Academy have any professional development system to prepare our young lads for such? It would be great to someday see a young Villa player interviewed without their response being:

"uh, I think... y'know, em, we, uh... played, yknow, em some.. em, yknow, good, em, stuff." While they stare into the ceiling and scratch their face like they are sufferring a bout of chronic dermatitus.

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Unfortunately, I will not be a Villa park this weekend. I have a commitment I made prior to the schedule being set.

2. GaztonVilla: Let's make a "date" to meet somewhere at, say, the Liverpool game...I can sign it then. Meet at door to Holte Suite or something.

3. TheSufferingVilla: Our Academy does have multiple class rooms located at Villa Park...where more than football is taught. One of the classrooms is a 'media center" that is used for actual interviews as well as "classes." With the number of gaffes I make, maybe I should attend!!

[Texas_Mike]

"Of course MON is not infalliable. The last person who walked this earth that could make that claim ended up on a cross."

Shit... someone nailed Ron Saunders to a cross???

[hobbo]

2. No problem with work permit means just that. We have not been told that there will be any difficulty.

Sorry to be pedantic but have you been told that there will be no difficulty?

I have not been told that I can't play right back for Villa but I suspected that if I tried, it wouldnt happen.

:?

Up the Villa

[jacquesderrida]

General, congratulations to all concerned on the new kit. Like many others, I love it.

As I mentioned in another thread, I'm delighted to report that I was able to buy it today in an Amsterdam store. Good work!

Seeing it in the flesh, so to speak, really brings home the significance of the Acorns sponsorship, too: showing it off to die-hard Ajax fans in the office, I was a very proud Villan this afternoon. (These Ajax boys were suitably impressed, for the record.)

Keep on keeping on, as someone once said...

[V111AFC]

General,

For the first time today, i did something i i thought id not do whilst villa were under the guidance of MON and Randy, and that was to turn down a ticket for the match on saturday.

To be honest id rather work on saturday and earn money than go and watch villa at the moment. Im getting seriously pissed off with the fact that the club have hiked up season ticket prices (and i dont wanna hear 'its good value for money' - £500 is £500) and have been so utterly shambolic in the transfer market. You expect the fans to pay extra? but what are we paying extra for exactly? to see the new flag? to see the nice decorative work on the exterior/interior of the ground?.......

We as fans want to see new signings. Im fed up of people from within the club sayin this will happen and that willl happen. Wheres the action? MON came out today and said something ludicrous like 'other teams arent that busy either'. But with all due respect, other teams have a sqaud of players and have right sided players? its not just a case of other teams not buying players is it surely? we have...what? 15 first team players? No right mid? No right back? No GK? Back up left back? and to top it off we have Zat knight?

You constantly have people on here saying '99.99999999% of fans support MON and Randy' and whatever, but i think this is a poor reflection. I personally work with 4/5 villa fans and all are constantly talkign about our ineptness in the market.

Now whilst i understand there is time left in the market to alter this but it all seems so desperate and rushed. The new players (if there are new ones) will have limited chance to bed in with the squad. We are in a far weaker position than last season and to top it off our best player wants to leave and has slagged off our Manager.

The response to this will be the same as always 'Randy and MON know what we need' and i appreciate this General. Im not having a go at you because i understand you are not involved with the transfers, but you MUST MUST be able to see what is happening? I mean what does MON do all day? From where im sitting, it seems the club either has no money or has a poor manager in charge when it comes to the market.

16-6th is good yes? But what exactly does 6th get you? I cannot see us improving next year because we simply havent stengthened and there is only negative signs coming out of the club at the moment. MON constantly denies potential targets and recently a lot of emphasis has been placed on the youth team and the youngsters signalling our intention to bleed them through rather than sign quality.

I know this seems like a rant but i feel i speak for some villa fans when voicing my concerns. Im very disallusioned at the moment with AVFC because i can just see another medicore season for us. I spend most of my limited money on the Villa but i just cant see us improving at the moment.

I dont know whether you need to reply to this because it isnt even a question. i just neeeded to get it off my chest because i love my team and i cant see how we are going to improve with MON in the transfer market.

[Trajan]

Of course MON is not infalliable. The last person who walked this earth that could make that claim ended up on a cross.

Actually, General, since the late nineteenth century the holder of the office Pontifex Maximus, which was previously held by the likes of Julius Caesar and the Emperor Augustus, has claimed infallibility.

I have to say that on the pitch at least, Paul McGrath was very nearly infallible.