The General C. Krulak Thread XV

[Walmley_Villa]

Hi General,

I'm pleased to see that we are starting to get some decent commercial deals that we will need to get the financial foundations in place in order for the club to become self-sufficient. Most of us can see that clubs outside of the top 4/5 are at risk of catching a financial cold. We do need to get the Milner issue resolved as it has hung over us all Summer and obviously restricted what MoN can do on the transfer front.
Onwards and Upwards,

[Dave Cooper please]

Hi General,

I hope you are well. I think the free numbering and lettering is a great ideal. Is it just with players names or can we have it with our own surnames on the shirt?

Kind regards,

Adam Van Popodopolousharilambouskishinishvili.

*clappy thing*

[peter w]

Hi General,

I hope you are well. I think the free numbering and lettering is a great ideal. Is it just with players names or can we have it with our own surnames on the shirt?

Kind regards,

Adam Van Popodopolousharilambouskishinishvili.

Very good.

[sfx412]

General Krulak here:

4.  sfx412:  I am sorry you are disappointed.  I am not sure what I can do to change that for you.

Thanks for that General, I can't see that you can do anything either, but I'm sure Randy, in whom I have complete faith can, in fact I'd surmise he has already started to influence matters.

It depends I suppose on what criteria are set down to analyse success by the clubs owner and I know you aren't going to make that public knowledge :)
5 seasons is a decent campaign General, timewise, sometimes the needle needs a push to move it when stuck in the groove. That or replacing with a bright new shiny, fresh example.

[Risso]

2.  Namaste:  Believing that the only way to the top is through a huge wage bill and heavy debt is not the answer for our Club.  Just watch the Clubs who spend like there is no tomorrow and amass a huge debt...it is not long before things start to fall apart.

Doug Ellis was always telling us to watch out for when the "bubble would burst".  I don't think that either Roman Abramovitch or Sheikh Mansour is going bust any time soon.  Even Liverpool look like getting out of their sticky patch.  Is waiting for bigger clubs to go bust part of our plan for the bright future now?

[pauliewalnuts]

General

This is a serious question, and about PL football more than it is Villa, but, I am 42 now.

If you were a betting man, would you bet on Villa winning the league again before I die?

Assuming average life expectancy.

I cant help thinking to flight football is a bit wrong.

[Kevin Dawson]

General Krulak here:


3.  We expect around 19,000 at the Valencia game.

Nice one General - only 99 out!!!

[David_Nab]

2.  Namaste:  Believing that the only way to the top is through a huge wage bill and heavy debt is not the answer for our Club.  Just watch the Clubs who spend like there is no tomorrow and amass a huge debt...it is not long before things start to fall apart.

Doug Ellis was always telling us to watch out for when the "bubble would burst".  I don't think that either Roman Abramovitch or Sheikh Mansour is going bust any time soon.  Even Liverpool look like getting out of their sticky patch.  Is waiting for bigger clubs to go bust part of our plan for the bright future now?

Frustratingly Chelsea,Man City and now it seems  Liverpool were all in serious trouble and have ended up better off than before.

[mark1968]

General Krulak here:

Just watch the Clubs who spend like there is no tomorrow and amass a huge debt...it is not long before things start to fall apart.

Only trouble with that General, the big clubs always seem to attract other rich owners and the whole charade begins again.

There will be plenty of other tycoons out there who want to play in the headlights that is the premier league.

I think the hope of waiting for things to fall apart for our rivals is a fallacy. Sure they may suffer briefly, but someone will soon step in again (ala Liverpool?). And i'm sure there will be other clubs who will hit the jackpot like Chelsea and Manchester City in terms of a mega rich owner.

[BannedUserIAT]

2.  Namaste:  Believing that the only way to the top is through a huge wage bill and heavy debt is not the answer for our Club.  Just watch the Clubs who spend like there is no tomorrow and amass a huge debt...it is not long before things start to fall apart.

Doug Ellis was always telling us to watch out for when the "bubble would burst".  I don't think that either Roman Abramovitch or Sheikh Mansour is going bust any time soon.  Even Liverpool look like getting out of their sticky patch.  Is waiting for bigger clubs to go bust part of our plan for the bright future now?

That's a bit cheeky. You're putting words in his mouth. The General didn't say that it's part of our plan at all. Just that, as a pure business model, doing what Chelsea and Man City are doing is a nonsense. As a rich-mans play-thing it's fine. But rich men get bored and then what?

Now as for us, General, I think the way forward is on three fronts:

1. The occassional purchase of a high quality player.
2. The development of youth players.
3. A successful scouting model (a la Arsenal).

We've seen that Randy has not been shy in coming forward when it comes to putting his hand in his pocket. So we can put a tick next to number 1.

Sid, Tony McAndrew et al have proved to be more than self-sufficient when it's come to providing quality players for the first team and making funds from the sale of those players not at PL level. Check number 2.

Number 3 is the concern.
Are you able to shed any light at all on what our scouting model comprises of? And who is in charge? I'm assuming it's MoN and, given his penchant for players with English experience, are we serverely limiting our vision in this (all important) regard?

[Risso]

2.  Namaste:  Believing that the only way to the top is through a huge wage bill and heavy debt is not the answer for our Club.  Just watch the Clubs who spend like there is no tomorrow and amass a huge debt...it is not long before things start to fall apart.

Doug Ellis was always telling us to watch out for when the "bubble would burst".  I don't think that either Roman Abramovitch or Sheikh Mansour is going bust any time soon.  Even Liverpool look like getting out of their sticky patch.  Is waiting for bigger clubs to go bust part of our plan for the bright future now?

That's a bit cheeky. You're putting words in his mouth. The General didn't say that it's part of our plan at all. Just that, as a pure business model, doing what Chelsea and Man City are doing is a nonsense. As a rich-mans play-thing it's fine. But rich men get bored and then what?

I didn't say that he did, I asked him if that formed part of our plan.  Asking him a question isn't putting words in his mouth at all.

[peter w]

This rich men's play thing and getting bored. When's it going to hit Abramovich?

[CJ]

Hi General

A couple of posters raised the issue of vuvuzelas at Villa Park but I can't see an answer (apologies if I've overlooked it).  Can you confirm whether vuvuzelas will be confiscated if people try to take these into the ground?

Suffice to say if anyone blasts one near me they'll end up blowing it from a different orifice.

[Moorski]

Vuvuzelas are not allowed into Villa Park

[pauliewalnuts]

This rich men's play thing and getting bored. When's it going to hit Abramovich?

And how is it a nonsense in relation to Chelsea, who have established themselves as one of the major clubs in the country / Europe?