Libor Kozak

Yeah I like Kozak. Looks like he puts in the effort and has a knack of being in the right place at the right time to score vital goals. I'd keep him most definately.

I think they'd be perfect together, a pair of battering rams with a load of skill. I'd love a 4-4-2 with those two up front.

TimVilla wrote:I think they'd be perfect together, a pair of battering rams with a load of skill. I'd love a 4-4-2 with those two up front.

Agreed. Can you imagine the confusion of having Benteke who is a beast in the air, and Kozak who is a giant in the air up front. Yes we would go long. But to whom.

The comment earlier about we wouldnt know who to play to, I know our players are on the dense side, Gabby anyone. But come on haha.

But seriously. Benteke can run off the ball, maybe Benteke is slightly in front of Kozak and he is more static. You dont need to move much if the ball is coming to you in the air and you are a beast with headers. Kozak and Benteke up top, Delph and Westwood in the middle with Grealish, Gabby on the wings bombing up and down. Could be a good thought if done properly.

I like Kozak and he scored some important goals. I am glad to hear he is on the way back.

Why we signed him and Helenius when we had Benteke, Gabby, Weimann and Bowery is still a mystery to me. We have so many centre forwards and damn all supply. Gabby and Andi are makeshift wide players, they are much, much more effective through the middle (as Weimann showed against Hull) so why not spend the Kozack money on a decent number 10 or wide player safe in the knowledge you had your striker position well covered?

Certainly leaves you scratching your head doesn't it mate. To be honest from what we have seen of Kozak he looked to be adjusting quickly and he has shown he knows where goal is unlike Gabby. All in all I don't think Kozak is a bad signing, Hellenius was a completely pointless signing and what gripes me about this signing is that he never got played which makes him an even more pointless signing, plus add to that that he won't even be able to pass on knowledge because he has basically none of the Prem'. 100% pointless.

Green Villan wrote:Certainly leaves you scratching your head doesn't it mate. To be honest from what we have seen of Kozak he looked to be adjusting quickly and he has shown he knows where goal is unlike Gabby. All in all I don't think Kozak is a bad signing, Hellenius was a completely pointless signing and what gripes me about this signing is that he never got played which makes him an even more pointless signing, plus add to that that he won't even be able to pass on knowledge because he has basically none of the Prem'. 100% pointless.

I was scratching my head last summer and was seriously worried we'd see a return of the dreaded 4-1-5 formation we saw against Bradford!

At least Helenius was a punt, Kozak cost £7m and while agreeing he did well and scored goals, still think the money might have been spent a little better. Gabby for all his faults brings pace to the side and has scored important goals. Weimann, played in position, is clinical. Kozak is great in the air but so is Benteke. Just felt, given our constraints, that money could have been spent more wisely.

I hear you bud, I was thinking when we got Kozak too "why the hell do we need him" but I think it might have been a good move by Lambert judging by the look at our depleted strike force, still think Hellenius was the most pointless, we were trying to "balance the books" so he goes out and gets another striker but to not play him, the mind boggles. I think Lambert needs a word with his scouts and give 'em a clip round the ear for both Bowery and Hellenius lol

Absolutely! The scouts have a lot to answer for with those two!

Though, Bowery did have a stormer against Hull I suppose.

That Hull game was the best I'd seen him and was hoping he built on the performance but he didn't, I thought the same about Weimann when he put those goals away, I thought great that should give him a boost, how wrong was I.

Green Villan wrote:That Hull game was the best I'd seen him and was hoping he built on the performance but he didn't, I thought the same about Weimann when he put those goals away, I thought great that should give him a boost, how wrong was I.

It was as though they headed straight for the beach after we beat Hull. All of them were hopeless in the final two games.

With Benteke's injuries Kozak's purpose was proven. Shame he got injured badly himself.

Nigel Lowe wrote:With Benteke's injuries Kozak's purpose was proven. Shame he got injured badly himself.

Maybe Nigel, but you could make the argument that a £7m quality creative midfielder would have proved even more worth in that some of those games where we just could not break teams down might have turned into wins thanks to some piece of creative genius...

Though I am aware I am wandering into'What if' territory!

A former ITK on another site who has proven his worth before resigning stated that Kozak's price was in and around the 5m mark.

I like Kozak and I think he'll be here for a few years, planning on getting his name on next season's shirt because he reminds me a lot of myself; big, gangly, awkward f*cker who somehow still manages to put the ball in the net.

Wasn't really enamoured when we signed him, and I still think he lacks pace, a first touch and any semblance of actual skill BUT he does seem a natural goalscorer and I'd back him ahead of most in the squad to put a chance away if it fell to him. Top lad, hope hes back to full fitness.

The fringe players and injured players at Villa Park must be wondering where their future lies. Some of them won't care. They will just draw their money. Either way, how many of them are DEFINITELY good enough for Villa next season, new owner or no new owner?

The Bald Eagle wrote:The fringe players and injured players at Villa Park must be wondering where their future lies. Some of them won't care. They will just draw their money. Either way, how many of them are DEFINITELY good enough for Villa next season, new owner or no new owner?

There is very little stand-out quality in the squad. Whereas other years there'd be the prospect of an up-and-coming player to look forward to, we just don't seem to have such players on the books.

Aside from the spine of the team we are lacing quality. Maybe Gardner is one to invest some hope in.Maybe N'Zogbia might prove a surprise package next season, who knows. Beyond that it's hard to get too excited about players who might come in from the fringes and improve the team.

We need a manager to get the best out of the players - the likes of nzogbia could thrive under a decent manager - I get the feeling lamberts man management skills are poor.

Charles needs to be played in his best position cutting in from the right. Do that and we'll have a bums on seat player to watch. Unfortunately due to the managers he has played under here N'Zogbia hasn't been consistently played in that position and has consequently struggled.

Eastie wrote:We need a manager to get the best out of the players - the likes of nzogbia could thrive under a decent manager - I get the feeling lamberts man management skills are poor.

i think so too though suspect some decisions might have been taken out of his hands somewhat.

I hope he is fit and ready for the start of the new season. I rate him highly. I know some have a different view but i think he is class and this will come through next season.

Farrell_10 wrote:

Eastie wrote:We need a manager to get the best out of the players - the likes of nzogbia could thrive under a decent manager - I get the feeling lamberts man management skills are poor.

i think so too though suspect some decisions might have been taken out of his hands somewhat.

N'Zogbia might have been allowed to shine if Barry Bannan had not picked up the ball for every free kick, the taking of which is a speciality of Charles.

PDC Lion wrote:I hope he is fit and ready for the start of the new season. I rate him highly.

This, I think fans are unfair to N'Zogbia and it seems to be because he has not lived up to his £9mil price tag but as has been said you can't blame him for inconsistency as he's been played out of position and then when he actually started to hit form that thick twat Lamberk dropped him, go figure.

Green Villan wrote:

PDC Lion wrote:I hope he is fit and ready for the start of the new season. I rate him highly.

This, I think fans are unfair to N'Zogbia and it seems to be because he has not lived up to his £9mil price tag but as has been said you can't blame him for inconsistency as he's been played out of position and then when he actually started to hit form that thick twat Lamberk dropped him, go figure.

Very good point GV. He needs a free role in my view.

PDC Lion wrote:

Green Villan wrote:

PDC Lion wrote:I hope he is fit and ready for the start of the new season. I rate him highly.

This, I think fans are unfair to N'Zogbia and it seems to be because he has not lived up to his £9mil price tag but as has been said you can't blame him for inconsistency as he's been played out of position and then when he actually started to hit form that thick twat Lamberk dropped him, go figure.

Very good point GV. He needs a free role in my view.

Yep PDC mate, someone on here said they remembered N'Zog was good at cutting in from the right which would suit him for a free role and tell him to swap sides with the LM/RM every now & then and when he has a good opportunity to go at goal or be the #10 tell him to drift middle and go for it, there'd be no point if Lambert played him as CM because he is defensively weak, for me it's CAM/RM/LM role, I would prefer his main place to be LM and we'd have to put Bacuna or Tonev at RM.

N'Zog was signed by Sir Booby along with the Statement the he was one of the most naturally gifted youngsters he'd ever seen. He did well at Newcastle and really made a name for himself at Wigan.

Then he came to Villa.

For all our fantastic history and infrastructure, the people are all wrong and have been wrong since Randy 1.0 left Randy 2.0 in charge.

And it seems to me that he will thrive with the right people, the right atmosphere and the right conditions. Villa are so far away from that.

Yes, you can say a footballer should perform for the money he earns regardless and you'd be right. But footballers can be a molly-coddled, fickle, unstable bunch of people (add Frenchness into the mix and you've doubled your difficulty level) and if you don't manage them properly, you're wasting your money.

I'm no fan of his temperament but if we can get the environment right - and that's a rare thing at Villa - then we'll have a star on our hands and the solution to a lot of our problems.

Can't see it happening though unless the people taking us over put a bloke in charge who can not only coach the players but understand their mentality.