c-krulak

General Krulak here: 1. DomWren: Yes, we are currently seeking to align ourselves with a Youth League in the US...perhaps more than one. We are currently looking at the Concord Soccer Association which has teams in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, etc. 2. Holte Doors...you can get in as you have read. The main doors are designated fire doors and we must control them. We are seeking to solve this by putting in new doors on the side. 3. Bouma is coming along fine. 4. I will "comment" on the commentary and see if we can do better. 5. Yes, the mosaic is beautiful. I am surprised fans have not noticed that we have begun to put stain glass windows up in that area too. Take a walk along the Trinity side of the Holte End and look up on the side...you will see the window. The steps will be sorted this summer. 6. MYSTERYMAN: I have no idea...but I will check. 7. Great time in UK. A nice visit with the Supporter's Group...good folks. The game was a big win...we needed the 3 points and their importance was made obvious by the rest of the results. Bolton came in with great momentum and the first goal and near second one had me worried. Then Gabby's brillant run and perfect feed....and a left-footed goal! I thought the lads played hard and the victory was deserved. I visited the lower Holte with Paul Faulkner and the fans were in good voice. Sorry that only 35,000+ attended as they missed a good game.

General Krulak here: 1. I am on the way to UK this evening...my first stop will be at Nicky Keye's office and I will raise the issues noted above. Again, they will do all in their power to serve the fans properly. Re. Hull, if we need more tickets, we will get them.

General Krulak here: 1. Blackcountryvilla: OUCH!!! I am starting with your comment because I disagree vehemently!! I think the ticket office is the finest in the Premiership and the survey done last year agrees. Nicky Keye and her people are extremely caring and responsive to the fans. Whenever I have a question, I do just what I recommend you do...I call the ticket office. I do NOT have special access....I have to wait my time as everyone else...BUT, when I get them on the line, my questions are answered and answered faithfully. I do NOT agree with you...I think we have a great group of people at the ticket office. How many other ticket offices in the Premiership serve coffee to people standing in line to get cup tickets on a cold B'ham day?? YOUR ticket office does. 2. I just got back from California and seeing my father. He is slowly going down hill but truly appreciated (as I do) all the kind wishes from the Villa Family. 3. I am on my way to B'ham tomorrow...will be there for the Bolton Game and the Supporter's Group Meeting. 4. I hope I never have to follow another Villa game by e-mail!!!!! I almost went crazy over the Everton game...from the ultimate high in the first 60 seconds to a huge low in the 92 minute and then...a magnificent high again!!! I know it must have been tough to watch and/or listen to but...try getting it by e-mail in California!!!!! 5. We continue to try to get as much allocation as possible. We are not turning tickets away. 6. Free transportation: I think I have addressed this one before. Yes, we are always looking at the possibility and yes, we know how important the away fans are. At the same time, we need to be very forward-thinking about finances. We need to stay ahead of the crisis that is hitting us...or at least be smart about what we are doing.

General Krulak here: 1. thetrees: I cannot tell you how sorry I am about your situation. I will immediately make our Hd of Security aware of this incident. We MUST have a way to handle issues such as you describe. Obviously we need to be careful that we are not just letting people leave the stadium to catch a quick smoke but for actual issues and emergencies, we need to be flexible. Again, I apologize and will look to see what can be done in these types of incidences. 2. The meeting with the transition team went very well and I think you will see President Obama take action against Gitmo and against actions that are counter to the Geneva Conventions. We have been working this issue for almost 3 years and we smell success!! 3. After yesterday's game, we MUST win this weekend to keep me sane.

General Krulak here: 1. GaztonVilla: The Brute is in bad shape...in fact, I think he is fighting his last battle. I was going to be in UK this weekend but now will be flying to California tomorrow night to be with him. Thank you for asking. 2. There will be a family ticket game again but not sure when. Again, it will be at a game where we don't expect a large turnout of fans and will be an opportunity to introduce Villa to our youth. 3. I was with the transition team yesterday but Gen Jones was not there. I do know him...he succeeded me as Commandant of the Marine Corps. I believe he will do a fine job...as I believe President-elect Obama will do a fine job. He is certainly surrounding himself with good people. 4. Toast: I am so happy to read your post...although, as always, this was supposed to be done "quietly." 5. Derek: Please contact Lee Preece at AVFC and provide him all the background...he will help you out.

General Krulak here: 1. Just back from a Board Meeting in Austin and then a meeting with the Obama Transition Team where I met a ManU fan....not good to argue after a transition meeting!!! 2. Villa89: Interesting you should ask that question because Randy and I had a fairly long discussion today about Villa. In a nutshell, Randy is very pleased with the Club. He is proud of MON and the coaches and physios and grounds people at Bodymoor Heath...he is proud of the folks at Villa Park...he is proud of the youth squads, the reserves and the first team and he is VERY proud of the fans and how they support the team. Each day brings a deeper respect for the ethos of the Aston Villa Football Club and the committment to keep that ethos alive. Passion is not too mild a word when it comes to Randy's feeling for the Club and passion for the game. 2. blackcountryvilla: We are looking at closing in the corners...but not something we would do until we completely evaluated the entire renovation effort for the Stadium. 3. Yes, we will have enough programmes.

General Krulak here: 1. paulanddonya: First off, I do take the "good, bad, and ugly"...and do so without a problem. Remember back to this summer transfer season...I would say that got pretty "ugly" at times. I think your "error" was saying that our lads "choked"...Curtis Davies was not saying they "choked"...not at all. "Choking" means something entirely different than what Davies was talking about. Barry didn't choke when the ball bounced all over the place but didn't go in. Laursen and Friedl didn't "choke" in the game. MON and the Coaches didn't choke in the game. EVERYONE is frustrated over the outcome of the game BUT, there is NO ONE in the dressing room that thinks we choked. 2. On my way to airport.

General Krulak here: 1. Let's talk the game first...yes, I was disappointed. I certainly thought we had the better of it and it could have easily been 3-nil in favour of Villa. I do not agree with paulanddonya...I just don't. This result was not a matter of "choking." When we had our chances, it wasn't as if our lads "whiffed" at the ball or couldn't pull the trigger. They took their chances and the ball just didn't end up in the back of the net. We played hard and we didn't give up...I do not see a choke. NOW, do I wish we would win these types of games? ABSOLUTELY! Was this a golden opportunity for us? Absolutely! As for the comment, "recognize it and address it, we will get better"....do you really believe that MON cannot see what is taking place on the Pitch?? It always amazes me that someone can post a comment that basically says that MON is not watching the same game as they are watching...or that MON should have substituted...or that MON should have changed tactics...etc. etc. MON is our Manager and a damn good one at that. Thinking that we know more than MON or that we see things that he doesn't is just foolish. Remember, this is a man who has his own two eyes, he has coaches with him who talk to him, etc. etc. I would venture to say that he knows what he is doing and we should trust him. As for "addressing it" (whatever "it" is), I am sure many have ideas as to how to do that...just remember, MON is the Manager and has the total support of Randy and the Board. He has demonstrated his quality and we all need to support him. Go back several pages...I wrote that we had a way to go...that we will have our high points and low points. I meant it. We know where we need to go and we know how to get there....give us a chance. 2. Aston Villa B'ham...not to worry. Cookbook on line?? If it is not there now, I doubt if it will be going there later. 3. I will be off the net for a few days....on a business trip to Austin Texas.

RedRoseVillain: 1. My recommendation would be to call Alison Plant at Hospitality and see if she can suggest something for you. Obviously the key is simple do you want to have something on the 30th itself? Perhaps a nice meal and a tour of grounds? See what she thinks.

General Krulak here: 1. OutbyEaster and roger_moore: Thank you for your kind words. Out byEaster...I have sent your post on to Randy because I know it will mean a good deal to him. He desires to "fly under the radar" but I think your comments will truly mean something to him...even if he keeps it to himself. 2. chief_hughesey: I will have to look into this. Obviously the solution would be a difficult one because we have fans all over the UK...not sure if we "put something on" where we would concentrate.

General Krulak here: 1. hobbo: I passed this on to Randy a while back...great job by a real fan. 2. VAT: We are currently looking hard at the VAT issue. We have already made the decision to reduce the price on our merchadise to return the savings back to the Fans. Tickets are a tougher issue for many reasons. We will be putting word out after more discussions. Again, we will be taking immediate action on merchadise. 3. Band of Brothers: Simply put, a superb series that depicts war very realistically. What I liked about it was that it showed warfare at the "grunt" level...what the infantryman sees when things are tough. 4. Ticket sales: We expect some 37K this weekend. Hamburg sales have been around 700.

General Krulak here: 1. Nope, not tongue in cheek. I meant it. We need to be able to beat the likes of the ManU's of the world...consistently...to get to where we want to be. I can promise you, that is MON's goal and the goal of the Board. That should come as no surprise...I would imagine that would be the goal of many teams within the Premiership. 2. I will check with John Greenfield and see how we can work a 10% discount on line.

General Krulak here: 1. Another strong performance by the Manager and Team. We are not there yet...we need to beat the likes of ManU...but we played an aggressive, positive, and solid game from start to finish. Lads we have picked up during the transfer windows are playing extremely well and the lads who have been with us from the beginning provide solid leadership. Lot's of calming influences on the field that allowed us to keep our heads when things got tough...and provided the spark to move forward. NO FEAR!!! For a guy who spent 35 years in uniform, it was great to see our lads go onto the Pitch with no fear in their eyes and, instead, a BELIEF that they could do it. Well done to the Lads, well done to MON and well done to YOU, the FANS!!! You drowned them out!!

General Krulak here: 1. PeterWithe's_shin: That is a very nice article and one that lays out, in clarion terms, where we believe we are and where we want to go. Obviously we are NOT where we want to be...and we will have our ups and downs (hopefully today will be an "up"). MON is a superb manager and has stated the case well. Randy is a special owner and will back MON and the Club. Obviously the Board is also dedicated to making the Club a winner.

General Krulak here: 1. Ticket allocation: We are allocated 5% of stadium capacity. The capacity is 51,000 so you can do the math. Villa has gone back and been given a total of 3200 tickets. We have accepted these in two tranches and will watch closely at how many in the first tranche are sold before opening up the second tranche. 2. We basically got the Pitch that was available during the time slots we were given. 3. Randy and the Board are never happy with communication that is not sent with a sense of respect. None of us are against honest differences of opinion but we believe that those differences should be articulated with respect. Simply put, no one ever comes to a job with the idea that "I think I will do a bad job today." People deserve respect for doing the best job they can. If that job is not "good enough", then action can be taken...but with respect. An abusive e-mail (I don't even know about it) would not be something Randy would give much attention to.

General Krulak here: 1. Reserve Games: I looked into this issue and the answer I got was that the number of games played on our Pitch this season...is greater than normal. Adding Reserve Games would increase the usage of the Pitch. At this time, the Club is seeking to preserve the Pitch in its current condition for what we hope will be some crucial games to be played. The amount of damage done by a single game is such that adding more than what will come with our regular fixtures plus cup games, etc. prompted the decision. 2. I will be checking on the total number of tickets available for Hamburg. I should have a good sense soon....but JG is pretty close to the mark.

General Krulak here: 1. The individual in the picture is Paul Faulkner. I would not say that he is the CEO...nor would he....nor would Randy...de facto or not. Randy has made it very clear that Villa will be run in a similar manner as the Browns....with Randy and the Board making the big decisions. Paul has been with Randy and with me since our days at MBNA, Europe. He is a Brit with a great business sense and tremendous loyalty. He is "on the ground" almost every day and reports to Randy and the Board on a daily basis. We have GREAT faith and trust in Paul. I personally think he is one of the brightest lads I have met in a long time and he has great leadership qualities. Paul is well-liked around the grounds and has a good relationship with MON and with others at Bodymoor Heath. At the same time, I don't think it would be fair to Paul to label him as the CEO. 2. I have not heard anything from President-elect Obama re. the Scarf but he does have a wee bit more on his plate than writing me a thank-you letter. Interestingly, I hope to see him in early December on a completely different issue.

General Krulak here: 1. Jobs at Villa Park: As everyone can imagine, we get hundreds of folks who want to come to work for the Villa. Very few openings exist and normally they are pretty "directed"...in other words, seeking specific talent vice generalists. (no pun intended). If someone is interested in a position at the Villa, they should direct their resumes to the HR Department at Villa Park. 2. We DO recognize the importance of away fans...Arsenal was a great example. The away fans at that game were fantastic. At the same time, we need to be judicious with our funds. The price tag on the trip to Chelsea was a good deal more than 81,000 pounds...and, as a reminder, 81,000 pounds is really about $160,000 dollars US. We just need to be careful about how we spend our funds...to ensure that we get the most bang for our buck.

General Krulak here: 1. Free transportation: I am not sure when/if we will be doing that again in the near future. With the amount of "need" we have at the Club right now, we must be smart about how we spend money. My sense is that when the time is "right", Randy will again pull the trigger.

General Krulak here: 1. What a game!! Splendid performance by the entire Squad. Special kudos to my "MOM"...Stan Petrov who I felt was magnificent. Gabby, Barry, Young, Laursen...heck, the entire team...was right up there with Petrov. Great win. MON had a good strategy and had the lads ready.

General Krulak here: 1. Standing: limpid has it right...we will not be implementing a standing area because it has been deemed a safety hazard and we would not be allowed to do so. 2. imavillan: Please contact John handley at Villa Park and describe to him the problem...he will sort it. 3. By now everyone, I am sure, is aware that we are entering a global recession. It is no longer a question of "if"...it is a reality. My sense is that we will probably not come out of that recession until 2010...with the first signs of progress coming in the 4th quarter of 2009. The only thing that might change this timing is the willingness of the world community to recognize this is a world problem. The monetary steps for coming out of the recession need to be coordinated withing the world community so that we don't have counter-productive actions taking place at the same time. As an example, we cannot afford to have skyrocketing energy prices during a time of recession...or any other critical commodity for that matter. To say that footballl is recession proof would be naive...but, at the same time, people need some sort if diversion during tough times and football certainly does it for me. As long as the telly can make money off of advertisements, etc., they will be more than happy to show games. 4. Please don't lump me in with McCain. No, I have not ever considered going into politics. After spending time in Washington, DC, I don't think I would enjoy it. 5. I want to win!!!!!! Go Villa.

General Krulak here: 1. Paddy: Yes, I did give a Villa scarf to President-elect Obama....whether he got it is another matter. I will ask. 2. Stephen_evans: Obviously I cannot comment directly to your question...it would not be fair to our Club or to MON. Simply put, MON has a clear vision of where he wants to take this Club and what it will take to execute that vision. He has, with the help of Randy, been building to that vision since he set foot at Villa Park. We ALL recognized we would have our ups and downs...that we would have good days and bad. Our key has always been to minimize the bad days and maximize the good ones. MON's plan is to do just that...and to date, he has been executing well. I continue to believe (and so does Randy and the Board) that we have a SUPERB mananger and that he will bring us to our goal. 3. villanfromluton: Please have your friend pm me with his issue...I will then make sure that we take care of it. 4. Stuart Taylor: Amen!!!! 5. prestonvilla: Please call Nicky Keye and see if she can help sort this. 6. didiersix: There is no question that Keith Harris assisted us in purchase of Aston Villa Football Club and remains a personal friend of many on the Board. At the same time, he is not Randy nor can he read Randy's mind. To state that Randy "plans to own Villa...for seven to ten years" whether from Keith Harris or the media, is an inacurrate statement and not based on any facts. Randy has demonstrated time and again that he recognizes AVFC as more than just an "asset"...but also as something very special and personal. Please do NOT read anything into this comment in the article...it has NO foundation in fact. 7. I remember doing the "War in Europe" special...it was fun.

General Krulak here: 1. Trying to guess the chances for tickets to a cup game is pretty tough for me to attempt. My very strong recommendation is to call Nicky Keye at the Ticket Office and pose your question to her. She is absolutely in the best place to give you an accurate answer. 2. Players coming out to see the fans after a game. None of us know the instructions given to the team by MON or by the Stadium Security. It is easy to get angry at the Players but unless we know the circumstances and what instructions were given, I would hesitate to get too upset. I doubt very seriously if this was an instance of the players not appreciating the fans...MON has constantly made it clear that the Fans are critical to the team. 3. The game today: GUTTED!!!!! Can't even state how badly I feel.

General Krulak here: 1. WE are very excited by the win tonight...my Dad and I held our breath the entire 2nd half!!! Our keeper was special. 2. I was very happy to see Obama win...and I think it will be great for our Nation and, equally important, for the World. He is smart, caring, a great listener, and will do well!!

General Krulak here: 1. Thank you for your kind comments...I have passed them on to my father. He is weak, deaf and has cancer but is one helluva fighter. Put him in his acorns away shirt...looks great. 2. I get back tomorrow...I hope with a win in Prague.