The General C. Krulak Thread XV

[nechells]

Hint: the really good ones already have good jobs at good clubs

Hint - we are not the first club to be looking for a new manager. You identify a shortlist of managers that you think are suitable and you go out and get one

you dont let the situation drift for 3 weeks, at the start of a season, with the transfer window ebbing away and risk writing off a complete season with the chances being that a poor season will result in the better players seeking to move and crowds dwindling

If it was that easy do you think that they would have done it by now? Do you really think that it's just a matter of deciding who we would like and then just offering them the job? Do you really think that the club are deliberately leaving this situation to drift, and are unaware of the impact which it's having on and off the pitch?

Stop making sense.

It's not so much a case of making sense Pelty-Anyone with half a brain knows that it's a thankless task to find a decent manager out of the rubbish that is out there.

My criticism lies with the board & ultimately Randy-This stand off between MON & Randy had been going on since last season-It was covered in a lot of papers at the time.If Randy didn't trust MON with transfer money (& I can't say that I blame him,given the shit that he bought) Then just get rid of him-English football is a ruthless beast & I'm not sure that there's room for nice guys like Lerner & Faulkner

I am not going to get into a long discussion on this, but your problem is that you actually believe the papers. Without exaggeration, they are wrong on all things Villa probably around 90-95% of the time. I can assure you they were wrong re: this supposed stand-off between Randy and MON in the April-May timeframe. I am just going to leave it at that.

My problem is not that I believe the papers but they did a pretty good imitation of Nostrademous if everything was Hunkey Dorey between the two fellas.

They were reporting the Milner deal to Man City around the same time as well.

My problem is that I think we are too nice at boardroom level-we need to be a bit more ruthless-I only care about Villa,I don't give a fuck who we upset-If there is a manager out there who is under contract who could do a job for us,then lets go & get him-You don't win any trophies for integrity in this league,especialy if you can't compete financialy

[TRO]

Nechells - Pelty is General Krulaks son, so give it a rest.

[Moorski]

General, Is it true that the club are not prepared to approach a manager that is already in employment?

If so we are not going to get the best man for the job as you said we would.

[mrshnn]

Silence is deafening.

[diand]

My own take on it is that in the modern game there is always going to be a mis-match between business principles and passion. The fans are passionate about their ('our') club, whereas owners, including Mr Lerner, are business people. Yes, they want their club to be successful, but because that is good business and profit comes from good business. In the same way that if I owned Argos I would want to sell a lot of stuff. Thus for owners, running a good business is the priority, where as for fans other types of success are more important. I am not suggesting these are mutually exclusive and are obviously complimentary, but ultimately they can contradict each other.

I believe the General cares about Villa (as does Mr Lerner), but I think they 'care' differently and therefore feel it differently to the rest of us, i.e. this is ultimately a business first, passion second (although that seems an oxymoron). The General obviously doesn't post on here to be a 'mate', but to communicate the business objectives (and deal with minor problems when he can). We are the consumers. We matter if we dutifully walk through the turnstiles week-on-week because we help pay the bills. Beyond that, I'm not always convinced that we matter to owners any more than an customer in Argos.  Football isn't about football anymore, it is about overpaid prima donnas who have little sense of the reality of the fans' experience. That's why the last couple of defeats matter so much to me too - not just losing to mediocre opposition, but the capitulation that, for most of us in our own line of work, would not be tolerated.

Owners and players can talk of pain and hurt, but then fans are criticised for 'poor' attendances. I think Villa fans have, historically and currently, stuck with the club through thick and thin, and will continue to do so because we are passionate. Like many, I probably spend thousands per year on tickets and travel following Villa, and have done so for years.  Small change for a premiership footballer or multi-millionaire owner.

Sorry for the rant, but the whole process of football (particularly the premiership) is toxic at times. Mr Lerner does seem to be a decent person and has invested in the club, but at this stage we need someone who is talking honestly to us, not through the smoke screen of business-lingo, saying it how it is. I am not always sure General how much you say on this thread is from the heart (it clearly is on occasions), and how much is the corporate line (it clearly is on occasions).  I can't speak for others here, but I always prefer it how it is, rather than with a vaneer that covers the reality; the former communicates respect for the heart and soul of the club-the fans. Otherwise the club risks becoming another corporate nobody and ultimately a floundering business.

If you are able therefore to answer some of the questions raised on this thread over the last few days in a transparent way, that would help considerably.

Phew.  Feel better for that.   

And how much do you think Randy has trousered from renovating the Holte Hotel, the Holte mosaic, the Acorns sponsorship, Bodymore, European cup celebrations etc. How much will he see back from the millions ONeill has spunked on sub-standard squad players. He may be a businessman and he may not feel the same sort of passion as most supporters but I think he genuinely cares about the club and its heritage and is not just in it for the return. I hope so anyway, and from my view of what he has done so far I have no reason to doubt him.

General

In the light of the above reply to my original post, would you agree that while it is very welcome that we have a beautiful Holte mosaic and ground improvements, none of these things actually score goals (coincidentally like many of our players). So that the imperative must be to bring in a goal-scoring striker before the transfer window slams shut so that we don't run the risk of owning the most beautifully maintained ground in the Championship?

[olaftab]

My problem is that I think we are too nice at boardroom level-we need to be a bit more ruthless-I only care about Villa,I don't give a fuck who we upset-If there is a manager out there who is under contract who could do a job for us,then lets go & get him-You don't win any trophies for integrity in this league,especialy if you can't compete financialy

I am sorry to post this here when there are couple of Manager threads out there.
Nechells  stop talking complete crap. As far as I know Randy is a billionaire. You don't get there if you are NOT ruthless in  making deals. That does not mean sh*tting on people but  being very very good at seeing an opportunity , taking a risk and closing out. I am sure the people in the Boardroom have adopted his business behaviours and they will do the  right thing.

[Chico Hamilton III]

As far as I know Randy is a billionaire. You don't get there if you are NOT ruthless in  making deals

But he inherited his billions didn't he?

[eastie]

randys dad was a billionaire and randy inherited from him as i understand it , not that it matters as its what he does with it that counts , not where her got he from.

[john e]

I don't suppose any club deliberately goes out to make a balls up of things. Are we supposed to feel sorry for the board because getting a new manager is a bit tricky? If they're not up to the job, then they should get some help. As far as I can see, you could comfortably fit their collective football knowledge on the back of a postage stamp.

I'l still take Randy thanks,
rather than one of the numpty's with all that supposed football experience.

i should think that 90% of football chairman get it wrong if history is anything to go by,
ley them make the desision, then see if they got it right,
i think they will, and they should not be rushed into a panic appointment just placate a few people with absolutly no patience and no bottle

[JJ-AV]

General, I just wanted to draw your attention to some of the merchanside Man City are putting out on here: http://shop.mcfc.co.uk/stores/mancity/products/product_browse.aspx?category|category_root|16143=fashion

(click on fashion if the link isn't working from the homepage)

I think some of it is cracking, and if we had a similar outlook with our merchanside it'd sell well. The polos and stuff inparticular, as after reaching a certain age alot of fans don't really feel comfortable wearing replica shirts.

I'm sure the success of the track jacket sales this year will back up the demand for this sort of stuff.

Can we get a McGrath dvd too? :-)

Cheers!

[K4Lukas]

if the club really does have ambition... i think it's time...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6343111,00.html

[Andy Poole]

if the club really does have ambition... i think it's time...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6343111,00.html

Likes this!

[The Situation]

if the club really does have ambition... i think it's time...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6343111,00.html

That's pretty cool, with personal quotes from Koeman too saying he'd like to manage Villa.

[Ads]

General, completely off topic, but what do you make of your contemporary General Conway’s comments with regards to the timetables our respective Governments have draw up for withdrawal from Southern Afghanistan and how this is giving sustenance to the Taliban?

Secondly, do you think that it will be General Mattis who will succeed him as Marine Corps Commandant?

[ckrulak]

General Krulak here:

1.  I am sorry I have been off the thread for the past few days...I know that this is a crucial time and not being on the boards does not help much.

2.  There are so many comments and questions that I am not sure where to begin so let me just provide a few thoughts.  First off, obviously I was gutted by the game results.  I am NO different than any Fan...it hurt and that is a fact.  I am afraid I cannot keep refuting those who somehow think I am a lesser fan (or that Randy is a lesser Fan) because I am on the Board.  I am so taken aback by that sort of thinking because it is so foreign to the way of life that I lived for most of my adulthood.  My loyalty, my strength, everything...it is all tied up in the Villa...just like it was tied up in the Marine Corps.  Just because I have not followed the Club for years or happen to be on the Board does NOT somehow make me a lesser fan.  Sooner or later, I would hope you all would recognize that fact.  Now to a bigger point, the Manager.  When MON left the Club, we immediately made up a list of Managers that we would approach.  The list was made up with the help of several solid and respected advisors.  It would have been insane not to do so.  No one has been sitting on their hands.  Yet, we had a season that was close upon us so Randy immediately asked KM to move into the position.  It was a good move and needed to be done because a good Manager is not something that happens overnight.  This was not intended to be permanent...it was an opportunity for someone who has been with the Club, knows the Club, has been successful with the Club, is liked and admired by everyone at the Club...players and staff...to give it a go and help HIS Club.  This did not mean that KM had "won" the job..it was simply recognition that we needed a steady hand on the tiller and KM gave us the steady hand.  He is a very good man and has always had the heath of the Club firmly in his mind.  As a Club, we are blessed to have him!!!  At the same time, we did not stop the search.  That effort is ongoing!!  As the search continues, so does the season.  We understand that fact!  Sometimes in seems like the fans believe we are just sitting back drinking beers...nothing could be further from the truth.  At the same time, it makes NO sense to start naming names...putting out a list of candidates...that is just NOT the way it is done.  Unfortunately, there are some Fans who believe this is an easy thing to do...it is not.  Yes, we could probably go out and get any Manager...but we are not interested in any Manager...we are interested in the right Manager.  Does anyone really believe that any owner would PURPOSELY let time fly by?  Please think about it.  Seriously, does anyone think that Randy, after putting so much money and effort into the Club, would just let time fly by without working his bum off??  Randy is in the UK right now...he has spent the VAST majority of the summer in the UK and since MON left, he has spent almost ALL of his time in the UK working this issue and others.  We understand the frustration of the Fans...we really do.  This issue is just not as simple as some would make it out to be.  To think that we can just go into another Club and somehow entice their Manager to come to Villa Park is to underestimate the issue by a thousand-fold.  It just is NOT that simple and for those who think it is, it isn't!

3.  I must tell you that my respect for the Villa Fans knows no bounds...and the same goes for Randy!!  We know these are tough times for you....they are for us too.  We get it!!  Please know that we ARE working hard on this issue and that we have our heads and hearts totally into the game.  For those who think we have been laying back, you are dead wrong.