Libor Kozak

[QuintonVilla]

He's one of those players who is better when they're out the team. People are calling for him to play bit really he's just as average as the others. It's like when Reo-Coker wasn't playing, he suddenly became Patrick Vieira the way people went on about him.

[Lastfootstamper]

I thought he was decent before, I always reckoned he'd be good alongside Benteke, but we never seemed to get the chance to find out. If I recall correctly, his minutes per goal ratio stands up quite well. I'd like to see him given a chance. Tbh, he can't do much worse than whoever's played up top of late.

[oldhill_avfc]

He's one of those players who is better when they're out the team. People are calling for him to play bit really he's just as average as the others. It's like when Reo-Coker wasn't playing, he suddenly became Patrick Vieira the way people went on about him.

Of course he's getting better by not playing - it's always the case (like Gill)

The argument isn't that he's on a par with Benteke and will score 20 a season, it's more that he's capable of holding the ball up and bringing the attacking midfielders into play as well as scoring the odd goal or two.  In other words, he'll do way more than Gabby, Ayew or Gestede have done to date.

[kippaxvilla2]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-boss-tim-sherwood-10095512

Worrying.

[brian green]

I agree with you oldhill. Kozak can do anything at least as well as Gabby, Ayew and Gestede but the big plus he brings is awareness in the box. He is no slower than Gestede, he is not as error prone as Gabby, his head is all in one place unlike Ayew. Why should one player get chance after chance after chance to prove himself but Kozak gets nothing. It seems pretty obvious to me that Sherwood wants his own signings to come good ahead of a player he inherited. And Gabby who he rates well above his current achievement level.

[KRS]

Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood gives his thoughts on Libor Kozak as Villa's strikers remain goal-shy

Only Rudy Gestede has scored of Villa's recognised strikers this season - but Sherwood says Kozak is still behind them.

Libor Kozak is still way down the pecking order despite Aston Villa’s strikers bagging just one goal between them this season.

Boss Tim Sherwood confirmed that he favours Rudy Gestede, Gabby Agbonlahor, Jordan Ayew and makeshift forward Scott Sinclair ahead of the ex-Czech Republic international who has not featured for a single minute in the Premier League this term.

Kozak still travels to away games with the team and has made the matchday 18 in half of Villa’s top-flight games but he was again left out for the weekend defeat to rivals Albion.

“At the moment I favour the players in front of him,” said Sherwood.

“I will always have a striker on the bench.

“I had two on there (against Albion).

“Libor is still at the football club so he will be considered like everyone will be.

“Everyone who is here and has a squad number will be considered for the Premier League.”

Kozak is said to be training hard and determined to force his way into Sherwood’s plans.

Last week the 26-year-old scored for the U21s but that didn’t help his case as he had to watch from the sidelines.

Gestede is the only striker to have scored for Villa this season but the manager insists he isn’t worried.

“On Saturday I don’t think they got an awful lot of service to feed off so I couldn’t be critical of them and they worked very hard,” he said.

“All I can do is to ask them to work as hard as they do in training.

“We’re hoping it’ll just click and something will fall for them in front of goal.

“Am I worried? No. I would be more worried if we weren’t creating chances or working hard enough in training to put that right.”

So should we be worried that TS thinks that they didn't get enough service or worried that he thinks that we did create chances? Personally I'm more worried that he hopes that it will just click and something will fall for them in front of goal rather than have something that resembles tactics to make it happen in the first place.

[villadelph]

Hoping it'll just click ?!

Christ, how do we find these managers.

No shot in hell Gestede is a better option than Libor. No shot.

[silhillvilla]

So WHY when we can't buy a point let alone a GOAL has KOZAK been frozen out. WTF is going on at this club !!?? He should surely at least be on the BENCH ?!

[Stirchley Villain]

No fucking idea. The name Libor Kozak should be etched on Sherwood's tombstone. He turned down Celtic to stay with us too...

[SoccerHQ]

Ridiculous treatment of him.

I agree he's no world beater but he proved under Lambert he could nick goals from limited chances so should be an option off the bench.

[Stirchley Villain]

Ridiculous treatment of him.

I agree he's no world beater but he proved under Lambert he could nick goals from limited chances so should be an option off the bench.

His hold up play is light years ahead of Gestede's. In the current system this should be a free pass...

[UK Redsox]

I'm beginning to think that Libor doesn't actually exist and that we've had a group hallucination that means we believe we've seen him play

[OCD]

Until I saw Silhillvilla's post I had forgotten all about him. It's crazy that he's been put in the same bracket as N'Zogbia. He looked really sharp pre-season and we don't exactly have an abundance of goalscorers.

[Ian.]

He's one of those players who is better when they're out the team. People are calling for him to play bit really he's just as average as the others. It's like when Reo-Coker wasn't playing, he suddenly became Patrick Vieira the way people went on about him.

Other than the fact he's scored a few times when he has been picked. Most know he ain't a world beater but the bloke knows where the back of the net is.

[villan from luton]

Have to say I am amazed that he has not been given a place on the bench at the very least. He appears to be someone who will score scrappy goals, any fecking goal would be much appreciated at the minute.