The General C. Krulak Thread XV

[peter w]

General,

             To date how many season-tickets have been sold to households withing a one0mile radius of Villa park?

             Second, I've read that valencia are due to be oplaying at Man City - a game televised by ESPN - on Saturday 7th. One day after they are due to play us. Now i appreciate that they can, and will, play whoever they wish against us but before people go and get tickets would you be able to clear up if the club have any assurances from Valencia that they are not going to play a team full of reserves against us?

Ramadan is nearly upon us. It'll begin around 10th August. Are there any plans to have iftar special events - the breaking of the fast at dusk - to get the families in? Alternatively, how about having September the 4th put aside for an iftar event? That's the international weekend.

[eastie]

Hi general , I bought a villa sekonda watch last year from the villa direct clubs official website and it was of course water resistant and expensive, today I took it to a jeweller to change the battery as it has stopped only to be told "sorry the watch is water damaged and will not work ".

 I've only used it for showers and washing up, I am very unhappy that I have now lost all that money buying a product which clearly wasn't what it was advertised and sold as.

Even says water resistant on it , I still have the presentation box but not the reciept, is there anything I can do about this general as I am very angry- it was not cheap either!

[Leighton]

Peter W, sometimes you make some interesting points- sometimes I even agree with you. However, they always seem to be outweighed by the amount of times you have to come on here and be an annoying repetitive pest.

I click into this particular thread to read the Generals feedback on a broad amount of subjects involving Villa and football in general. But I am just pissed off now with you hijacking the place with your tedious posts about the same bloody thing over and over again.

I have no doubt that you are well intentioned and sincere in what seems to be your one-man quest to get every person living within a Marlon Harewood missed placed shot of Villa Park to be present on match days, and for the club to provide them with special events and areas etc. I have no problem with that at all, but what I do have a problem with is you keep going on about it. I am sure that the General has answered your questions about what the club have/are/trying to do for the locals on more than one occasion. When will you get the message?

Will you please just take your own little crusade (pardon the pun) somewhere more private and show a little more respect to the General and your fellow H+V’ers. Let the rest of us enjoy the thread again, so it is like a little piece of Utopia- just the way you want it!

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Hi general , I bought a villa sekonda watch last year from the villa direct clubs official website and it was of course water resistant and expensive, today I took it to a jeweller to change the battery as it has stopped only to be told "sorry the watch is water damaged and will not work ".

 I've only used it for showers and washing up, I am very unhappy that I have now lost all that money buying a product which clearly wasn't what it was advertised and sold as.

Even says water resistant on it , I still have the presentation box but not the reciept, is there anything I can do about this general as I am very angry- it was not cheap either!

Water resistant doesn't mean waterproof.  It means it can cope with the odd splash or survive being dropped in water.  If you use it repeatedly whilst showering or immerse it in water whilst washing up, then yes it's probably going to get water damaged.  

See also here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Resistant_mark

[eastie]

Watch states water resistant to 100 metres and believe me it's never been lower than 6 inches , I can't swim in any case , this watch was an official merchandise from the villa and even the jeweller said it's clearly advertised as being something it's not and was very expensive.

If we were talking a few quid I'd probably not be so angry about it , but as it was an official club product I may not be the only one to suffer this fate, I suppose to some this may seem trivial but these things don't come cheap.

[Sutton_Villa23]

General Krulak here:

A couple of points:

1.  No matter what happens with Milner, and NOTHING is decided there, I think it is important to know that he has acted in a thoroughly professional manner and has great respect for the fans and for the Club.  He is a good man who keeps his head down and works hard.  I have a lot of respect for him.

2.  The following FACTS are presented...taken straight from the financial statements of the Clubs involved.  It demonstrates that Randy has been more than willing to put money against players in this league.

Net spend over the past few years:

a.  ManCity: 230M
b.  Chelsea: 112M
c.  Villa: 102M
d.  L'pool:  95M
e.  Spurs:  66M
f.  Everton:  23M
g.  Arsenal:  Actually have made 14M thru selling

We have a net spend more than spurs,  yet they have a better side and finished 4th and their manager is talking about winning the league next year, whilst we spend at least 30 million pounds of that investment on players that cant get near the team and if we believe what we read, are in fact up for sale. If i was Randy i wouldnt be giving the manager any cash either. It's disheartening to read that we have to sell players to purchase new ones, however, when you look at the facts, the manager has splashed out inflated for fees for very very average players (sidwell, harewood, shorey, davies, nrc) who no doubt are also on obscene wages. Randy is within his rights to say to O'neill that no more money available until these are off the wage bill. How long are the present board willing to accept 6th place spending less money than other teams (ie spurs) who we were ahead of 3 years ago.

[old man villa fan]

General Krulak here:

A couple of points:

1.  No matter what happens with Milner, and NOTHING is decided there, I think it is important to know that he has acted in a thoroughly professional manner and has great respect for the fans and for the Club.  He is a good man who keeps his head down and works hard.  I have a lot of respect for him.

2.  The following FACTS are presented...taken straight from the financial statements of the Clubs involved.  It demonstrates that Randy has been more than willing to put money against players in this league.

Net spend over the past few years:

a.  ManCity: 230M
b.  Chelsea: 112M
c.  Villa: 102M
d.  L'pool:  95M
e.  Spurs:  66M
f.  Everton:  23M
g.  Arsenal:  Actually have made 14M thru selling

We have a net spend more than spurs,  yet they have a better side and finished 4th and their manager is talking about winning the league next year, whilst we spend at least 30 million pounds of that investment on players that cant get near the team and if we believe what we read, are in fact up for sale. If i was Randy i wouldnt be giving the manager any cash either. It's disheartening to read that we have to sell players to purchase new ones, however, when you look at the facts, the manager has splashed out inflated for fees for very very average players (sidwell, harewood, shorey, davies, nrc) who no doubt are also on obscene wages. Randy is within his rights to say to O'neill that no more money available until these are off the wage bill. How long are the present board willing to accept 6th place spending less money than other teams (ie spurs) who we were ahead of 3 years ago.

I do not like doing this as it is supposed to be for questions to the General on non team/manager matters but it seems as though it has been hijacked for other means.

Sutton_Villa23, try adding the value of the squads for each of the clubs when Mr Lerner bought the club to the amount spent by each and see what the current values are now.

Only Mr Lerner knows whether the club is progressing along the lines he thought when he took over the club or any subsequent view having gained experience of being a PL club owner.  I would have thought the answer is yes as the manager is still with the club.

[peter w]

Peter W, sometimes you make some interesting points- sometimes I even agree with you. However, they always seem to be outweighed by the amount of times you have to come on here and be an annoying repetitive pest.

I click into this particular thread to read the Generals feedback on a broad amount of subjects involving Villa and football in general. But I am just pissed off now with you hijacking the place with your tedious posts about the same bloody thing over and over again.

I have no doubt that you are well intentioned and sincere in what seems to be your one-man quest to get every person living within a Marlon Harewood missed placed shot of Villa Park to be present on match days, and for the club to provide them with special events and areas etc. I have no problem with that at all, but what I do have a problem with is you keep going on about it. I am sure that the General has answered your questions about what the club have/are/trying to do for the locals on more than one occasion. When will you get the message?

Will you please just take your own little crusade (pardon the pun) somewhere more private and show a little more respect to the General and your fellow H+V’ers. Let the rest of us enjoy the thread again, so it is like a little piece of Utopia- just the way you want it!

Erm, no. Now off you pop to make some flags for me to ask questions at games if you prefer.

[MadJohnnyC]

Welcome back General, your honesty is appreciated.

What id like to ask though, is how are Aston Villa perceived in the behind closed doors world of things amongst players, other clubs and agents etc? The reason i ask is that all we ever seem to be is a stepping stone for players. This will be my 17th consecutive season as a season ticket holder now, and i attend all but one or two away games each season too. But now for the first time i'm asking myself why. I, like many of our great fans, earn in a year about 2 days wages for James Milner, yet choose to spend it supporting him and others through thick and thin. Yet as soon as a "better" club comes calling they are off like a shot. How are we ever going to seriously compete if nobody is willing to give Randy and Martin time? Joe Cole has just signed for a club with reportedly much more financial difficulties than ourselves and who finished LOWER in the table than we did. Will we ever be able to attract these names? Or just the better players from poor teams and journeymen like Robbie Keane for example?

I feel ive seen everything there is to see now and that 6th is as good as its ever going to get. Im sure others feel the same. Sorry about being negative. I'm normally the one fighting our corner. Up the Villa.

Sorry to nag General but just a couple of reassuring lines may stop me worrying...Cheers

[Lowendbehold]

General,

The current media lines are about the supposed dispute between Milner and MON, whether Milner asked for a transfer or not.

James Lawton in the Independent had a spot on point the other day when he suggested the likes of Joe Cole, James and just about every other pro player dealt in realities.  Namely that money is what it is all about.

Kissing badges may impress the kids at the front of the stand but the majority of supporters appreciate that players are employees pursuing a career and earning a living.

Is it not about time that clubs and players alike stopped treating the fans like morons and everyone is just honest about the realities of football life?  Its a business for the owners, a career for the managers and a job of work for the players.  Everyone is trying to earn a crust, albeit in football more like the loaf, or rather the whole bloody bakery.

The PR spin is wearing out.

[peter w]

General, ther eis a 'feeling' amongst certain section of fans, and also by certain sections of other teams football fans that we are back to being boring again. Not necessarily down to performances- although last season saw a departure from the exciting formations of 4-3-3/4-5-1 and a good balanced counter-attacking team - but also how we are perceived off the pitch.

How would you attempt to divert the feeling that we are just a mediocre, humdrum, there because we're there type of football team/club that we were before Randy came in?

Fans of other clubs thought of us as just boring and nobodies. Then we made people sit up and take notice. last season I started to get the old boring Villa jibes, and same 'yawn' effect when anyone was talking about Villa.

Why do you think that is, and what can the club do to alter that? We have had a decent season last year so is it just a matter of perception? Playing style? media coverage? The fact that when Randy first came in the 'revolution' was exciting? Is this what happens when lust turns to love to just all being too used to each other?


Serious question by the way!

[Sutton_Villa23]

General,

I've had a fairly disenchanting 2010 following my beloved team. No new blood in Jan again meaning players ran out of steam...again, the manager not using his squad that HE assembled, no new blood so far this summer only transfer activity is our star player wanting out...now i read our home kit not available for purchase until mid September!!! what on earth is going on? what other clubs have to wait a full 4 weeks after the start of the season to purchase a new shirt? I would have thought at least our commercial department could sort this out, nike sponsor Man U and theirs was out weeks ago!!!

[Sutton_Villa23]

No new kit to buy for 2 months after unveiling
No new players
Manager has effectively given up on 4th place before a ball kicked
Our best player wants to go same as last year

Why exactly should i renew my season ticket ive had for 15 years mr krulak?

[PaulWinch again]

No new kit to buy for 2 months after unveiling
No new players
Manager has effectively given up on 4th place before a ball kicked
Our best player wants to go same as last year

Why exactly should i renew my season ticket ive had for 15 years mr krulak?

General Krulak.

[Legion]

A little respect, please?