The General C. Krulak Thread XV

[cheltenhamlion]

Hi General

I agree with Eamonn's question. Moreover, can you give us any idea on expected timescales for a managerial appointment?

We can all handle a defeat but to give up like we did yesterday was unacceptable.

I have to say, I think that result has just cost you about £150,000 in gate receipts for Thursday night.

And if we get knocked out then you are going to get an awful lot of difficult questions. I think we just need some stability so this can all settle down.

[Claret trim]

I wish I could say we have the world's best manager and he will be at Bodymoor Heath on Monday.  I wish I could say that Messi will be on the Pitch for us next week.  I wish I could say alot of things but I can't.  What I can say is that we are NOT as bad as we showed today....and that we have better days coming.  One good game....one bad game....does NOT a season make.

General, I posted this elsewhere but really this is the right place for it. Not having a go at you specifically you understand, just a view from the outside:

Yesterday was a blessing in disguise: at least we are now reasonably assured that the (perhaps understandable) wave of sympathy and support for the Board and KM will subside to reveal the situation as it really is, i.e., that the leadership has somehow managed to lose its key employee at a critical time.

If that had happened in my job under my watch, then my boss would be asking me why the hell I didn't have the risk covered. There is no hiding place for the Board I'm afraid, notwithstanding MoN's very poor judgement in terms of timing his departure.

So, we will not have KM as manager. Thank Christ (for us but also for him). We are Aston Villa; Ricky Sbragia type solutions are not for us.

We are beginning to look very naive in terms of our approach at executive level: slightly parochial, unconnected, rudderless, indecisive, out of control of events. We need a quality and experienced manager and very, very quickly and that manager needs to have a week or so to deal in the transfer market. That is so painfully obvious. If it has to be Sven for one year with a medium term plan behind that, then so be it. At least he would likely get the basics of the team setup and approach right. He'd also have an idea about one or two players he would like in, I imagine.

Bob Bradley, why not? Just not this year, it's not the right time.

Come on guys, get your acts together.

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

Bob Bradley, why not? Just not this year, it's not the right time

definitely not

[Dave Clark Five]

General
Bob Bradley is quoted in the Independent today as having made contact, one way or another, with the club regarding the managerial position.
My personal view is that, if we appoint him, it will be a disaster. This is just for the record as a concerned supporter.

[ROBBO]

The problem we have now is down to MON, I had an employee give notice a while back after working for me for eleven years, he was an integral member of staff and had been well looked after, he was in a vital position. I asked him to stay until i could train someone up but he refused. It took six months before things settled down. I would imagine it won't be any different at Villa.

[Dave Clark Five]

The problem we have now is down to MON, I had an employee give notice a while back after working for me for eleven years, he was an integral member of staff and had been well looked after, he was in a vital position. I asked him to stay until i could train someone up but he refused. It took six months before things settled down. I would imagine it won't be any different at Villa.

O'Neill did say '' I will obviously be assisting the club in the immediate short-term with regard to the handover of my duties."

What form did this take?

[ROBBO]

From reports he picked the side and before Fitzgerald handled transfers not much else. Not much to hand over.

[Drummond]

General, as you've said already, the club will find the right man for the job. Yesterday's result brought many of us back down to earth faster, and more painfully, than we'd imagined after such a great start to the season under Kevin MacDonald last week.

We're all upset after yesterday's result and in particular the manner of it. I've a lot of respect for Kevin MacDonald for having taken the responsibility for it in his post-match interviews. It's easy to pick apart a whole number of things but in essence the only change to the side that won so handsomely on day one was Ireland in for Milner. Had the penalty have gone in I'm sure we'd have had a different outcome, however, we didn't.

I personally would rather we had a couple more weeks of pain to get the right appointment for the next few years, than rush it and get it wrong. Randy doesn't strike me as a man that gambles so I'm not sure how the management appointment thing will go, Bob Bradley would clearly be a gamble. If it turned out well, Randy is a hero and if it fails, I'm sure I don't need to tell you what the reaction would likely be. There really doesn't appear to be many high-quality managers out of work at the moment, have we approached other clubs about theirs?

p.s. Please can you give Randy a nudge about buying another midfielder and striker. Thanks

[pablopicasso_10]

the players must take the full blame for yesterday... the lack of effort and work rate, not closing things down and the very visible show of them giving up was utterly disgraceful and totally unforgiveable..

[Ads]

If we get Bob fucking Bradley then we might as well jack it all in and wind the club up. Its a waste of everybody's time and money.

[peter w]

General, who exactly is in charge of our transfer targets/policy right now?

[Risso]

If we get Bob fucking Bradley then we might as well jack it all in and wind the club up. Its a waste of everybody's time and money.

Ads, this is your final warning, calm down a bit.

[Malandro]

General, who exactly is in charge of our transfer targets/policy right now?

The General said the manager is. This either means that Kevin is indeed the manager or Randy has bought Ireland off his own bat - you wouldn't let a caretaker manager buy an 8million pound + player on £60K+ p/w would you?

I must admit I am concerned.

[eastie]

General, if bob Bradley becomes manager of Aston villa then we will no longer be mentioned as a top 6 club, we cannot have a man with no experience of English or European football ,and I believe many fans would turn on the board if that happened.

I do not agree that it should take so long to appoint a manager, this is a vital time and the dithering about gives the new man no chance to buy players in (maybe that's the plan).

We need an experienced manager now and please could you confirm whether randy has gone home as there was no sign of him yesterday?

The next few days will go a long way to showing us whether the board has the ambition this club so needs.

[pmk1981]

GERNERAL,  PLEASE READ THIS

IF YOU READ ALL THESE POSTS PLEASE PLEASE PASS IT ON TO MR LERENER THAT WE AS PAYING LOYAL FANS DO NOT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WANT BOB BRADLEY AS MANAGER !!!   WE PAY FOR OUR SEASON TICKETS AND TICKETS AND FOLLOW THE CLUB ABOUT THE COUNTRY ( AND EURPOPE ).  WE DESERVE SOME SORT OF SAY.  I AM SURE WE WILL RESPECT WHOEVER ELSE YOU APPOINT BUT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT APPOINT BOB BRADLEY AS I WILL SERIROUSLY CONSIDER GIVING MY 13TH YEAR SEASON TICKET UP AND GO AND SUPPORT BROMSGROVE ROVERS