Libor Kozák (confirmed post #190)

[eastie]

It's not a bitty record, it's an average-to-poor record. Look, I'm glad it's Lambert and not me doing the transfers because he clearly knows what he's doing, but I think this is a misstep. We already have a tendency to lump the ball aerially - we don't need any more encouragement.

Give Lambert a chance on this Monty - after many years / multiple managers he finally got Gabby into his best position.

His record on front players is pretty smart

He does have a good record but he also has a tendancy to overrate size. It paid off with Benteke and with resurrecting the career of Grant Holt, but it looks less clever with Steve Morison and Jordan Bowery.

We'll see on Kozak, but my first instinct is that we don't really need another big man centre forward. Also, he's not a full international - got called up for the Czech squad but didn't actually play. Of course, I hope I'm wrong and he's a genius, but we'll see.

Thanks for that. Now I'm a bit more dubious about him. What's his pace like?

It isn't, particularly. Not bad when into his stride but takes him a while to get there, very slow acceleration. Bit like Carew.

That description has a familiar tone, I don't think it's far off what Belgian Villa was saying about Benteke this time last year.

Well here's hoping, but Benteke was two years younger and already a goalscoring full international for a much better national side.

I thought he had 4 caps at full international level?

[danlanza]

You may want to turn the music down, or maybe up. Depends how deaf you want to be.

[Monty]

Eastie, I must be wearing my orthopaedic shoes because I stand corrected.

[Villafirst]

He'll need a good 3-6 months to settle in to the club and a different Country/Language, particularly arriving very late in the transfer window (more MON's style!). Can't see him starting too many games, but I'll trust PL's judgement on this one.

[LeeB]

It's not a bitty record, it's an average-to-poor record. Look, I'm glad it's Lambert and not me doing the transfers because he clearly knows what he's doing, but I think this is a misstep. We already have a tendency to lump the ball aerially - we don't need any more encouragement.

Give Lambert a chance on this Monty - after many years / multiple managers he finally got Gabby into his best position.

His record on front players is pretty smart

He does have a good record but he also has a tendancy to overrate size. It paid off with Benteke and with resurrecting the career of Grant Holt, but it looks less clever with Steve Morison and Jordan Bowery.

We'll see on Kozak, but my first instinct is that we don't really need another big man centre forward. Also, he's not a full international - got called up for the Czech squad but didn't actually play. Of course, I hope I'm wrong and he's a genius, but we'll see.

Thanks for that. Now I'm a bit more dubious about him. What's his pace like?

It isn't, particularly. Not bad when into his stride but takes him a while to get there, very slow acceleration. Bit like Carew.

That description has a familiar tone, I don't think it's far off what Belgian Villa was saying about Benteke this time last year.

Well here's hoping, but Benteke was two years younger and already a goalscoring full international for a much better national side.

I know what you're saying, but signing players for value means judging them in a way few others do. Maybe they've noticed him improving, and have decided to strike while they can get him on the cheap.

We seem adept at not just finding golden nuggets, but exploiting contractual clauses too.

[Mister E]

It's not a bitty record, it's an average-to-poor record. Look, I'm glad it's Lambert and not me doing the transfers because he clearly knows what he's doing, but I think this is a misstep. We already have a tendency to lump the ball aerially - we don't need any more encouragement.

Give Lambert a chance on this Monty - after many years / multiple managers he finally got Gabby into his best position.

His record on front players is pretty smart

He does have a good record but he also has a tendancy to overrate size. It paid off with Benteke and with resurrecting the career of Grant Holt, but it looks less clever with Steve Morison and Jordan Bowery.

Take your point about Bowery - since he's young I would imagine PL will give him another 6-9 months, see if he shows signs of devleopment and - if not - and then sell on; possibly at a small profit.

[TheSandman]

He'll need a good 3-6 months to settle in to the club and a different Country/Language, particularly arriving very late in the transfer window (more MON's style!). Can't see him starting too many games, but I'll trust PL's judgement on this one.

Maybe with that in mind he's being brought in as a longer term successor for when Benteke leaves?

[PeterWithesShin]

You can hardly use Bowery to judge his ability in the transfer market. A young kid who cost virtually nothing and if we sold him today we make our money back on. The kind of no lose punt we should have been making far more often over the years.

[RussellC]

Kozák's goal-scoring record isn't too dissimilar to Andy Wiemann's. Would we all be turning our noses-up if we were about to sign him...?

[eastie]

Bowery would hold his own in the championship i think and would have benefitted from a loan move - as pws says , a no risk deal and worth the punt on him.

[Monty]

You can hardly use Bowery to judge his ability in the transfer market. A young kid who cost virtually nothing and if we sold him today we make our money back on. The kind of no lose punt we should have been making far more often over the years.

I'm merely saying that he has a definite tendancy to overvalue size in players. It's been present throughout his career and Bowery seems definitely an example to me.

LeeB, I like your 'strike while the iron's hot' thesis there. There's no question that he has been improving, and people had high hopes for him as an 18 year old or so. I hope you're right, it would be a very astute signing under those circs. I just hope it transpires that way.

[PeterWithesShin]

Bowery would hold his own in the championship i think and would have benefitted from a loan move - as pws says , a no risk deal and worth the punt on him.

I would like us to see us loan Bowery out to a Championship club now. One that will give him a run of games.

[LeeB]

You can hardly use Bowery to judge his ability in the transfer market. A young kid who cost virtually nothing and if we sold him today we make our money back on. The kind of no lose punt we should have been making far more often over the years.

I'm merely saying that he has a definite tendancy to overvalue size in players. It's been present throughout his career and Bowery seems definitely an example to me.

LeeB, I like your 'strike while the iron's hot' thesis there. There's no question that he has been improving, and people had high hopes for him as an 18 year old or so. I hope you're right, it would be a very astute signing under those circs. I just hope it transpires that way.

I like it too, as it's fits in with the belief that we're building for the long term.

And just going back to Lambert overrating powerful strikers, it's a German thing innit? All of their successful teams, domestic and international, seem to have some big lumbering ox who nobody rates yet he scores a truckload of goals.

[frank black]

I would take it that if we are spending 7 mil now, it is giving us time to bed him in before Benteke is off in Jan.

[PeterWithesShin]

I would take it that we are building a squad for the long term and that Benteke will be a Villa player come February.