Libor Kozák (confirmed post #190)

[SoccerHQ]

Always exciting when we sign a foreign striker no one's heard of for big money. Let's hope this guy is more Benteke than Balaban.

Would've still preferred an AM though.

[supertom]

I do quite like that Lambert loves a striker. He's signed 4 in a year so far. O Neill's only solid piece of striking business, no matter how often we just cried out for a goal poacher, was Carew and that was as much to get rid of Baros. It's hard to tell who pushed more for that deal, O Neill or Houllier. He then got Harewood later that summer. Then it was 18 months of wait to get Heskey when we should have got Bent earlier. Perennial links to Defoe never came off.

O Neill loved signings center halves.

Lambert loves signing front men.

I know which I prefer.

[rob_bridge]

Welcome Big Man. Good luck wearing the finest football colours in the world.

And good bye to 2 lightweights.

[BC54 VFC]

Welcome LIBOR; hope you like your new BASE.

I see that you "rate" him already

I wouldn't SWAP him for anyone, especially once I heard he'd got a CAP. I bet PL didn't have to grab him by the COLLAR to get him to sign. Just hope he doesn't end up on the FLOOR like Heskey.

[silhillvilla]

Will he get the 18 shirt ?

[pauliewalnuts]

Coming from one Macron club to another, he at least won't be surprised when the logos come off his shirt and training gear after one wash.

[PeterWithesShin]

Will he get the 18 shirt ?

He's taken the 27.

[Matt Collins]

Helenius is one for the future and a different player.

If Kozak looks decent this season, I think there's a pretty good chance he'll be leading the line for us next year. And I don't mean playing alongside Benteke.

[claretandbeer]

Saha interviewed on Radio 5 ,having played with Libor at Lazio,thinks that he's mobile and suited to the English game.

[Doorbell]

Just catching the end of this but I reckon this lad is Benteke's replacement and Helenius will become a versatile option in attack and midfield. I'm sure someone has already mentioned this earlier in the thread. Irrespective, welcome to the best club in the world Libor.

Just read something very similar on the ESPN website...sounds like a good shout.

[Malandro]

I like the fact that he's big and ugly

[dekko]

For me, signing a backup (and future replacement) for Benteke was second only to a No10 in terms of transfer priorities, so I'm happy.

His overall scoring record isn't amazing (although Andi Weimann's isnt much better) but we know how diligent Lambo & Co are when it comes to scouting signings and making sure we know exactly what we're getting.  I'd say 5-7 million quid and a four year deal says they're pretty sure he'll be worth it.

[Matt Collins]

I just read that he only started 5 league games last year, which makes his stats look a bit better.

It's good to have squad options. I do think he's benteke's replacement though, probably after the World Cup.

[Karl Bridges]

I haven't got time to read all of the thread and i'm sure most of this has already been mentioned, but he was obviously playing second fiddle to Klose in the league and getting his chance in Europa. His record in that seems decent.

 All of the comments i've seen from the Italian side seem to think he'll be a good fit for the Prem.

Also at the moment if CB does come off, we don't hang on to the ball up front well at all, hopefully this will remedy that.

[Archie]

Libor at the 2011 Lazio Summer camp.

Nice guy but a mediocre player. Very good only with the head, whereas he is absolutely uncapable to play football with his feet, even if he was appreciated for his committment.
H reminds me a player of the 80's, Mark Hateley.

I have always seen Miro Klose sincerously incredulous, and a little bit amused, that  Libor played in Serie A and still could not complete with accuracy even the most simple passage (but Klose hasn't  seen Richard Dunne, it goes without saying  ).

He did not score one goal in the last Serie A campaign, where the defences are very strong and good on tactics, whereas he scored a lot in Europe, against average teams.

All in all, he can be only a reserve of Benteke,  that may be of some utility when the opponents park the bus in their box and you need some one that can score with the head.