General Krulak (No Transfer Questions allowed)

[cheltenham_villa]

Hi General

A slight moan im afraid. I've just phoned up for my West Brom tickets, after a bit of time on hold i got through and asked for two, one for myself and the other for the lad who sits next to me. I was then asked for both references, mine i had, his i didnt. I told her that our seats are linked and asked if she could look him up. She said this service was no longer available (i have been ordering tickets like this for years which meant i didnt need any of his details). She went on to tell me that lots of tickets were still available so i agreed to call my friend and get his reference. When i eventually got back through the tickets had sold out. I'm told we're 3 and 4 on the waiting list so quite hopeful of tickets still, but why are we no longer able to look up references and if we do have changes to systems like this is it not possible to let people know via the web-site or something. I will admit the a recorded message does tell me i need to know the client reference but thats been on there for years.

Keep up the good work

UTV

[roadoftrinity]

Hi General

I am a season ticket holder in the Lower Doug Ellis stand. For some unknown reason in the concorse they have changed the procedure for getting a beer. Now they have one person that can take the money and two others to serve the drinks. This have just slowed up the whole process getting a drink at both half time and before the game.

Surely it would pay for the club to have more staff on to get the queue down as some people just gave up after a bit and therefore the club are losing out on revenue.

One great idea was where there was the seperate stands where people were just selling bottles of beers, this seemed to work well.

Thanks

[ramshackler]

Do not call other posters liars. Keep this thread for Q&A for Gen. Krulak. Blandy

[bully]

General,

Despite all the suggestions that the sales for the executive lounges have been very good, I was very disappointed to see that there were numerous empty seats in that area yesterday, it looked nearly as bad as Wembley!! Did people stay inside? If we are struggling to sell them for Liverpool how do the club propose to fill them for Hull or Wigan?

On the pitch things are taking shape nicely, once the new guys bed in we'll be flying. Pass my thanks onto Randy please, his support is second to none and thanks for your patience during the transfer window.

[cookie]

It may seem galling that when the club has invested so heavily in matters on the pitch and corporate hospitality that fans gripe about the state of the catering. But I have to say that having been coming to VP for 9 straight years now, the catering has continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate, to the point where I simply stopped attempting to make use of it some time ago. I know several other fans do the same, and hence I don't bother to complain anymore because I just don't bother with it.

It does seem strange General that the board can spend million upon million on gutting the corporate areas yet after 2 years of trying they still can't solve the seemingly elementary matter of providing fans with a beer and a burger when they are going to want it.

I know for a fact that sports fans in America would not tolerate this level of service and wondered if your experiences over there could not be put to use? You do say that you keep Alison in touch with the comments you receive and that they are constantly reviewing these things, but in fairness should it take this long? Maybe these aren't the right people for the job?

[Razor]

Hi General,

at half time yesterday we went to get some beers and food but when we went to pay they told us they would not accept £50 notes, neither of us had any other money and they gave us no explanation to why they wouldn't accept it. Why is this ridiculous rule in place General?

[_OzzY_Villain_]

Dear General,

I dunno if you are aware but the club car park is currently a joke. It took an hour and fifteen minutes for me to get from my space to the exit of the car park basically because there is no organisation whatsoever. There are plenty of stewards before the game happy to tell you exactly which space they want you to park in and yet after the game theres not one in sight inside the stadium. This whole experience basically ruined the matchday experience for me and many other angry fans in the car park. Why cant some stewards remain in the car park and organise the traffic flowwhich would make things work so much faster. Any chance?

[terrytini]

Hello General

I hate to say it when so much good is being done at the Club but I have to agrree with those bemoaning the catering - we are in Upper Holte and despite being in early are regularly given either cold or overcooked food, and we are frequently wrongly charged - it is dreadful.

Anyway my query is something I raised last year but now it's getting even worse. For Years my routine has been to get in the ground at 1.15 pm, or 1.25 at the latest, but we are now kept outside until nearly 1.45 (or its' equivalent, e.g. 2.45 on Sunday).

This leadsd to a build up of fans outside the turnstiles, puts a pressure on catering (by creating a 'surge') and most importantly is ruining the way we've always spent the time before a game.

You have stated several times the Club wants fans to spend longer in the stadium, yet for no apparent reason we now are getting in up to 1/2 hour later than historically.

When I asked the Steward he said they have to wait for a call from the centre - all fair enough, but they have all day to get ready, and I can't understand why they can't simply open at the proper time.

I hate to say it but the 'pre-match' time which has always been precious to me is now, with late entry and poor food, pretty much non-existent.

Whilst the catering may be hard to fix, surely the opening times aren't ?

Grateful for any help General. All the Best...

[bully]

General,

Two further questions, 1. What happened to the planned collection for Acorns? and 2. Can you confirm that Randy has the jet fully fuelled and ready for any emergency in the next 10 hours or so? :wink:

[Ramsay1874]

Hello General

I hate to say it when so much good is being done at the Club but I have to agrree with those bemoaning the catering - we are in Upper Holte and despite being in early are regularly given either cold or overcooked food, and we are frequently wrongly charged - it is dreadful.

Probably for the first time since I was 10, when my Mum used to pack me off to Villa Park with my marmalade & banana sandwiches to watch Gerry Hitchens, I took sandwiches to Villa Park yesterday having finally given up on the half-time struggle to buy low quality food in the Upper Trinity.

If it's low quality and no struggle I'm prepared to suffer the quality and if it's good quality and higher prices I'm prepared top pay - but low quality plus a struggle to get served people who still don't really understand their roles and responsibilities is not an option for me.

I think the problem is compounded by the fact that since the smoking ban a lot more people are now more content to leave their seats at half-time because the air is now breathable on the concourse - this leaves fewer square-feet for the people who are trying to get to the serving areas.

[Tubby]

General,

Let me be the first to congratulate Randy, MON et al for a pleasing and successful transfer window. We have added to and strengthened our squad compared to that of last season and have stuck to our principles. The players we have bought all have proven Premier League quality except of course for Bradley Guzan and Cuellar, but both have shown with their previous clubs and for his country in reference to Bradley, that they are again a step up on what was here before.

We play great football with a young and hungry side and we put many clubs to the sword last season. We have not disrupted the way we are going to play and so don't have to re-learn a new style of football. We are a stronger team and will be better for it. I still say top six and can't wait for us to get going after this international break.

With regards to Man City and some of the tripe you will likely hear, money isn't everything and we all know that Randy Lerner means more to us for what he has done to Aston Villa Football Club than any money yielding consortium could ever do. Plus he has proven he can and will invest in the not just the team but the whole club and I'm sure we will continue to see more of that.

Hear's to a sustainable and progressive future

Thanks

Jon

[ramshackler]

if you have any doubts or deflated feelings general, just check out the "do we need a new owner" thread.

we all love you and randy, and would be gutted if you were bought out by some crazy rich middle eastern consortium.

The last two years have been so much fun, and we havent won anything but it has still been so brilliant and has made me so proud to be a villain!

keep your head high, villa cannot fail to be a great club under your leadership

[dont_do_it_doug.]

General, what are Randy's overriding feelings with regards to Manchester City's new ownership?

Will it have an effect on our business plan?

[b6bloke]

General my first point is that i want to thank Randy for making this the best transfer window ever and even though we never got a striker i'm sure Mrs K could fill in if need be

As for the Man city business i am more than hapopy with our owner as he has shown he has a passion and a love for Villa which money can't buy, I am conifident in our manager and look forward to the rest of the season.

On Sunday me and my mates decided for the first time ever to have our pre match drink in the ground and after arriving at 2pm we had a 45 minute wait to get in. I say this as i know that there is an attempt to get more fans in before the game. Not again though, we tried the Holte Suite against man city and averaged at half an hour wait to get a drink each time, not again either.

I have to agree with those saying that the catering is bad but i also have to give credit where it is due as they seem to have built a new kiosk in the upper holte and it really did reduce the queues.

Again pass on my thanks to Randy.

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Just back from a week in UK...FH, then two youth games then L'pool. A very good, busy, trip...but wish we could have won at L'pool. More on that later.

2. Team Photo...screensaver. I will check on this.

3. Greeting Cards. Not sure why you could not find any...again, I will check.

4. "Undisclosed transfer fees." It just does not make any sense for us to disclose how much money we have spent on transfer fees...it lets other Clubs know what we have either paid or are willing to pay. Not a good business model to follow.

5. Players have told me they are happy to be playing with acorns across their chests.

6. AVTV: All I can tell you is that changes are coming.

6. Everyone can expect changes as a result of UEFA Cup and Carling Cup...and you know that better than I do. We will get the word out as soon as changes are made. Please follow the official web site for the info.

7. LeafyVilla: Please call Lee Preece and he will sort it for you.

8. AVFCGB: Got it. I will speak to folks who manage turnstiles. You should NOT have had to go thru that experience.

9. Stevenjos: I honestly do not have an answer.

10. CATERING: First off, Alison Plant (Head of this area) will read your comments. Secondly, she and her team have taken many steps to help sort out this area. The new kiosks are a visible example but she has also hired many new people. Many of the suggestions you all have put forth have either been implemented or looked at closely. As an example, the carrying of beer on the back...a great idea but there are real concerns about security of money, etc. in such an arrangement. Walking thru a very close concourse can be dangerous to someone who is carrying money...trying to make change...etc. We have heard horror stories from other clubs who have tried this. I was in Holte Suite three times before the game and, yes, it was very crowded but people were being fed efficiently and quickly...and they were getting healty portions. Yes, there was a queue for drinks but I watched closely what was happening behind the bar and felt that the servers were doing very well. Adding people did NOT look liike the solution...we had people manning each "pump." Our BIGGEST problem is simply the concourses at Villa Park...very confining and very difficult to move food and drink thru. This is an engineering and renovation problem...not a catering problem.

I am certainly not excusing cold food and slow service BUT, I think we are making good strides in this area and totally disagree that things are going backwards. I recall my first game and my first visit to the Holte End lower concourse....we are MUCH better off now than at that time. Additionally, linking catering to Corporate Hospitality is just plain wrong. Corporate Hospitality is NOT hurting catering, it is making it better. More cooks, more kitchens, better service. As for the sales in the Corporate Suites, it IS going far better than we had hoped. The empty seats are because some seats remain to be sold...but not many...and other folks just decided to sit inside....Do not ask me why.

11. Razor: Not sure about the 50 pound note issue but....I think it is probably pretty wise.

12. Sully: I saw collectors.

13. The Game: First off, I watched the first team practice on Saturday and they were sharp and confident. Of course several of the new players could not play due to injury and others were just joining the team. I thought, like most of you, that this was a good chance to bring home 3 points. At the same time, the key is to never lose. If we could go thru the season ZERO losses, we would be in pretty good shape. Here are my thoughts: 1) I thought both defenses played extremely well. Penetration was made very difficult for us by the way they were marking John Carew and their dedication of one man with Young the entire game. Likewise, our defense was very strongand will only get better as our new players join the squad. 2) I thought the middle of the field was also very restricted...tight play and difficult to get things going. This was NOT due to a lack of effort but it seemed to me that L'pool was set on coming away with a point...in other words, playing NOT to lose. Again, I think that our new players will make a big difference here. 3) Forwards...again, Carew was fronted and backed the entire game.

I really wanted to win this game. My son and grandson came over with me and it would have been great for them to see us beat L'pool. Simply put, we didn't beat them. At the same time, I do not think that they looked at us as the "old Villa"...I think they were definitely worried about us and had respect for our Squad...this, in itself, says a great deal. As I have said many, many, times...we are on a journey. We WILL get to our destination.

[Denis_B]

General a pleasure to read one of our 'cousins across the water' explaining a game in that details with good observations..... a pity some of the doom mongers on here didn't see it that way

Keep it up, we are with you all the way!

[metalhead_villain]

Just to say general.

You are the man!!!!!

[Mark8691]

General Krulak here:

13. The Game: First off, I watched the first team practice on Saturday and they were sharp and confident. Of course several of the new players could not play due to injury and others were just joining the team. I thought, like most of you, that this was a good chance to bring home 3 points. At the same time, the key is to never lose. If we could go thru the season ZERO losses, we would be in pretty good shape. Here are my thoughts: 1) I thought both defenses played extremely well. Penetration was made very difficult for us by the way they were marking John Carew and their dedication of one man with Young the entire game. Likewise, our defense was very strongand will only get better as our new players join the squad. 2) I thought the middle of the field was also very restricted...tight play and difficult to get things going. This was NOT due to a lack of effort but it seemed to me that L'pool was set on coming away with a point...in other words, playing NOT to lose. Again, I think that our new players will make a big difference here. 3) Forwards...again, Carew was fronted and backed the entire game.

You'll be commentating for Sky Sports soon General!

[villa89]

Hi General,

I just bought the new away kit and its lovely. A very nice job by the good people at nike.

Just a quick question, How do you think the Browns will do this season? Is anything less than a divsion win a disappointment?

Regards

villa89

[Big_John_10]

General i was just wondering if the takeover at man city will have any effect on our 5 year plan?

Do the board still think it's possible for us to break into the top 4 over the next few years now that man city seem to have chelsea like funds available to them?