Libor Kozák (confirmed post #190)

[pauliewalnuts]

This would be Lambert's most expensive signing for us, wouldn't it?

[VILLA MOLE]

Yep, experienced defensive player needed, not another goddam forward.

he will help defend set peices

[eamonn]

I think Benteke still is - €8.5m wasn't it?

[PeterWithesShin]

This would be Lambert's most expensive signing for us, wouldn't it?

I'd be surprised if we are paying more for him than we paid for Benteke.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

We may well need to have two big buggers upfront, 4-3-1-2 type formation.

Benteke is getting more attention and tends to be picked up by the centre half who is more dominant in the air, if we've got two big fella's upfront then teams are either going to have problems against us.

[Boz]

Still struggling to see the point. Much prefer an Ince or Fisher type player than a big lump who seems to cost a lot!

We all have our opinions and PL getting Kozac in will be proved one way or another in the next few weeks.

PL's done a decent job of buying players so far, so I hope this one will be a success as well. The fans don't have all the information Lambert has, so we are unlikely to see the reason Lambert's bought him until he plays and in what role he'll be asked to play.

Villa need a mid fielder but presumably, there wasn't anyone Lambert could afford or wanted. For me Ince is over rated.

[RussellC]

It's nice that people are trying to see the good side of it but I don't remember reading many "we need a big, burly fella to cover for Benteke" posts prior to yesterday, especially one with an unimpressive scoring record.

Our manager, who has a pretty damn good record in the transfer market, is about to sign a young International Striker from Serie A. I’m not quite sure what there is to not be happy about…?

Whether or not 'we need him' is surely secondary to the question of whether or not he'll improve our squad...?

[mackattak]

Yep, experienced defensive player needed, not another goddam forward.

Best form of defence is offence. 😃

[Toronto Villa]

I imagine by signing another forward we are beginning to know what Spurs fans felt in signing yet another midfielder. That said, we do play with three forwards so I imagine we want some cover, flexibility and options in keeping that style of play. I would liked to have seen an attacking midfielder but I'll also be interested to see where Kozak fits in.

[pauliewalnuts]

Whether or not 'we need him' is surely secondary to the question of whether or not he'll improve our squad...?

Not really, though.

He might improve our front line by giving us more options, but if - for example - he's the only signing we've got money for, then we'd have been better off buying an attacking midfielder, which is what we really need.

I'm not necessarily making that argument, just pointing out that it's not really just about whether someone will improve our squad, it's about whether he'd improve our squad where we most need improvement.

[PeterWithesShin]

I just can't see Lambert spending a chunk of change on a player that he doesn't rate, he really doesn't strike me as an impulse buy type. And given his track record so far, if Lambert rates him then he's good enough for me.

[dave.woodhall]

Yep, experienced defensive player needed, not another goddam forward.

Best form of defence is offence. 😃

Of attack. This is not America.

[Jarpie]

According to someone in VT, the real fee is around 4-4,5 million quids, not 7,5 million euros (6,3 million quid).

[paul_e]

Maybe we're not looking at an attacking midfielder because Grealish is more in Lamberts plans than we think?  He's certainly got the skills we need in there.

[Clark W Griswold]

Yep, experienced defensive player needed, not another goddam forward.

Best form of defence is offence. 😃

Don't get me wrong, a Czech International and player at a club like Lazio should have something about him, and he gets a welcome from me, but i really think we are failing to address the more important requirement of an experienced central defender or defensive central midfielder once again. And i think this place will be in uproar a few months down the line when good teams with good tactics keep slicing through us like a knife through butter like Liverpool did in the first half last week, and so many did last season. I think we are better for Okore and Luna, but still not quite there.