Libor Kozák (confirmed post #190)

[Villafirst]

According to HairyHands at Villatalk the fee was 4-4,5 million pounds, not 7-7,5m and Guardian also reported 5m.

In today's crazy over-inflated world of Transfers, £5-7M is absolute peanuts! Fellaini £27.5M? McCarthy £15M? Kozac's fee is hardly a gamble in today's market.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I think we need to give him a chance before we write him off, Yes I'd have liked another defender or a new merse but I trust Lambert and it's a welcome change from Zat Knight and Marlon Harewood

[Somniloquism]

He could be a Marlon, just we do not know until he starts to play as he has never played in this division before.

I will reserve any judgement until he has played several games and will not be too scathing (if required) until next season as KEA, Petrov and others have shown that a first season can't always be used to judge how well they will do. Also, by that point Kozak might be our lead striker when CB leaves for Real for £90m

[Tuco Salamanca]

He could be a Marlon, just we do not know until he starts to play as he has never played in this division before.

I will reserve any judgement until he has played several games and will not be too scathing (if required) until next season as KEA, Petrov and others have shown that a first season can't always be used to judge how well they will do. Also, by that point Kozak might be our lead striker when CB leaves for Real for £90m

True, but we knew Marlon would be a Marlon. And he was a right Marlon.

At least there's a degree of excitement with a guy you've never heard of...

[brontebilly]

Benteke's replacement 12 months early maybe? Whatever reason he's been signed he's an addition to the squad and after years of reading on here of posters bleating about the lack of foreign signings, a bit of the unknown should be welcomed.

I was thinking the same re a replacement for Benteke. Clearly Lambert has scouted him for quite a while so its not a panic signing.

But with Kozak on the books there is a danger we will play 442 a lot more this season and our side is clearly not set up to play this way. Just hope Lambert hasnt made a MONesque mistake and risked upsetting the balance of the side to try and accomodate two up front.

[Monty]

Benteke's replacement 12 months early maybe? Whatever reason he's been signed he's an addition to the squad and after years of reading on here of posters bleating about the lack of foreign signings, a bit of the unknown should be welcomed.

I was thinking the same re a replacement for Benteke. Clearly Lambert has scouted him for quite a while so its not a panic signing.

But with Kozak on the books there is a danger we will play 442 a lot more this season and our side is clearly not set up to play this way. Just hope Lambert hasnt made a MONesque mistake and risked upsetting the balance of the side to try and accomodate two up front.

From Lambo's comments he's talked about him being 'another target man' and 'leading the line' and 'taking the pressure off Benteke', so I think he won't play them in a 4-4-2. That was my concern as well, but I think we can rest easy.

For me, the problem doesn't lie in his being an unknown - on the contrary, he's quite well known, and has some well known flaws. But hey, Lambert's certainly earned a hell of a lot of leeway and good will with transfers, so here's hoping.

[paul_e]

Benteke's replacement 12 months early maybe? Whatever reason he's been signed he's an addition to the squad and after years of reading on here of posters bleating about the lack of foreign signings, a bit of the unknown should be welcomed.

I was thinking the same re a replacement for Benteke. Clearly Lambert has scouted him for quite a while so its not a panic signing.

But with Kozak on the books there is a danger we will play 442 a lot more this season and our side is clearly not set up to play this way. Just hope Lambert hasnt made a MONesque mistake and risked upsetting the balance of the side to try and accomodate two up front.

I don't think he's a replacement, I just don't think Lambert thinks that way, I see him as an option, nothing more or less.  As I said yesterday, I can see him being used, at least sometimes, to allow Benteke to find a bit more space by dropping a few yards deeper.

[Ad@m]

I think he will do what is expected of him - give his all, score a fair amount of headers, be a nuisance and probably be unspectacular.

I do, however, think he will be a popular player.

You reckon?  We don't have a great track record of liking tall centre forwards who don't score goals (Ivanhoe, Crouch, Harewood, etc).

Oh, and 'A donkey could never become a horse' is a fantastic saying!

[Boz]

I think Lambert and his scouts have done enough to earn the benefit of the doubt on transfers. They don't seem to make panic buys and I doubt would spend this sort of money without being convinced he's worth it. No offence to anyone, but I trust their judgement on players much more than someone who's watched a few Serie A games

You could have addressed me directly, you know. And for what it's worth, I trust Lambert's judgement on transfers more than mine as well. But I'm entitled to my view and I'm entirely unconvinced by this. Even Ferguson signed Djemba-Djemba - nobody's perfect.

Quite right, everyone is entitled to their view and opinion, just yours are mostly negative, and in this case, before he's even played a game.

Lambert will make mistakes with his signings, but they won't be apparent if this is true for Kozac for a while, so let's contain judgement until there something to judge.

[UK Redsox]

He could be a Marlon, just we do not know until he starts to play as he has never played in this division before.

I will reserve any judgement until he has played several games and will not be too scathing (if required) until next season as KEA, Petrov and others have shown that a first season can't always be used to judge how well they will do. Also, by that point Kozak might be our lead striker when CB leaves for Real for £90m

True, but we knew Marlon would be a Marlon. And he was a right Marlon.

At least there's a degree of excitement with a guy you've never heard of...

Better the Devil you don't know................

[Monty]

I think Lambert and his scouts have done enough to earn the benefit of the doubt on transfers. They don't seem to make panic buys and I doubt would spend this sort of money without being convinced he's worth it. No offence to anyone, but I trust their judgement on players much more than someone who's watched a few Serie A games

You could have addressed me directly, you know. And for what it's worth, I trust Lambert's judgement on transfers more than mine as well. But I'm entitled to my view and I'm entirely unconvinced by this. Even Ferguson signed Djemba-Djemba - nobody's perfect.

Quite right, everyone is entitled to their view and opinion, just yours are mostly negative, and in this case, before he's even played a game.

Lambert will make mistakes with his signings, but they won't be apparent if this is true for Kozac for a while, so let's contain judgement until there something to judge.

How are my views 'mostly negative'? I always thought I was a bit of a happy clapper on here.

And just because you haven't seen Kozak play a game, doesn't mean I haven't. LeeB may be right in the several good defences of the signing he's put down here, or Archie and I may be right by being sceptical, but we shall see. I'm entitled to compliment or criticise the manager however I see it.

[ozzjim]

If they start together, I still think it will be a 4-3-3 formation.

[Concrete John]

But with Kozak on the books there is a danger we will play 442 a lot more this season and our side is clearly not set up to play this way. Just hope Lambert hasnt made a MONesque mistake and risked upsetting the balance of the side to try and accomodate two up front.

Before Gabby came back last season, he used the wingbacks system to try and accomodate two strikers (Benteke and Weimann).  I can see him possibly trying a diamond or something, but Lambert is no standard 4-4-2 man.

As it goes, my personal opinion is he'll be cover and competition for Benteke and we'll only see them both on the pitch at the same time through a substitution when we're chasing a goal.

[Ads]

I have never seen him play, but I think it makes sense squad wise.

We can keep our shape now without Benteke (if not our potency). We have two big un's to play through the middle, Tonev adds compeition to Gabby and Andi and Helenius is something a little different to all of them.

How good he is, I have no idea, but Lambert has been chasing him for a long time and I trust he is more Benteke than Burke.

[bobdylan]

When he plays I think it'll be alongside Benteke with Weimann or Gabby in behind and a midfield 3 behind them.