Libor Kozak

[paul_e]

The offside one that he put wide anyway summed up everything that has been wrong up front all season.  We have Veretout, Grealish, Gil and even Westwood who can all thread those passes between defenders for a well timed run and we've only got 1 striker in the club who's willing to make the runs and he's just got his first start.  Like others I'm not saying Kozak is brilliant but I am saying that he actually has instincts to play up front and try to get into those gaps.  He really should've been involved 8-10 games ago when it was clear that Gestede just doesn't fit with us.

[Matt C]

He looked a bit rusty as you'd expect after being out for so long but he was full of endeavor and - take note Rudy - movement. Hope Garde persists with him and Ayew up front.

[glasses]

The offside one that he put wide anyway summed up everything that has been wrong up front all season.  We have Veretout, Grealish, Gil and even Westwood who can all thread those passes between defenders for a well timed run and we've only got 1 striker in the club who's willing to make the runs and he's just got his first start.  Like others I'm not saying Kozak is brilliant but I am saying that he actually has instincts to play up front and try to get into those gaps.  He really should've been involved 8-10 games ago when it was clear that Gestede just doesn't fit with us.

it was encouraging movement, but he put the chance wide.

[themossman]

Fair shout glasses. We're still talking about a striker who didn't score, and we had about 50 corners. It's just good to a striker do strikerish things after the horror of watching gabby and gestede lope around doing precisely fuck all for so long.

[paul_e]

The offside one that he put wide anyway summed up everything that has been wrong up front all season.  We have Veretout, Grealish, Gil and even Westwood who can all thread those passes between defenders for a well timed run and we've only got 1 striker in the club who's willing to make the runs and he's just got his first start.  Like others I'm not saying Kozak is brilliant but I am saying that he actually has instincts to play up front and try to get into those gaps.  He really should've been involved 8-10 games ago when it was clear that Gestede just doesn't fit with us.

it was encouraging movement, but he put the chance wide.

but at least he got the chance, that's the point.  Gestede doesn't get many chances and that's down to him as much as the rest of the team because he's predictable in the box, the absolute first requirement for a good striker is the ability to find space in the box, Benteke was a master at it which is why I was calling him a top striker in his first few games even though he was missing chances.  Kozak isn't that good but he will pull into gaps and get shots away 3-4 times a game and once he gets a bit of confidence and shakes off the rust that will mean goals.  On top of that it makes him much harder to mark so he draws other defenders to him which will make space for playing coming into the box, if Ayew, Gil and Veretout can get used to that and start gambling on it they can all profit as well.  It's nothing groundbreaking and it doesn't make him anything special, but it does make him better than Gabby and Gestede who haven't got it in them.

[footyskillz]

The offside one that he put wide anyway summed up everything that has been wrong up front all season.  We have Veretout, Grealish, Gil and even Westwood who can all thread those passes between defenders for a well timed run and we've only got 1 striker in the club who's willing to make the runs and he's just got his first start.  Like others I'm not saying Kozak is brilliant but I am saying that he actually has instincts to play up front and try to get into those gaps.  He really should've been involved 8-10 games ago when it was clear that Gestede just doesn't fit with us.

Agreed ! AND
He was in on the lescott header goal looking for scraps in case ball didn't go over. Good to see goal getting instinct . Gabby would be tussling with the defender in an upper body strength competition and get in way of header at least lumbering libor looksvto follow in

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Couldn't agree more paul_e!
Kozak isn't the World's best, but he knows how to play as a striker and work a defence...imho Gestede doesn't know how to and Gabby can't be arsed or hides...Kozak takes up good positions - near and far post -  runs away/across his defender, and always puts a challenge in/closes them down.
His performance against Man City a few seasons ago was a 10 out of 10 for me: nowhere near as talented as those marking him, but never gave them a minute's peace, ran himself and them ragged, so that when he went for that ball late in the game and missed it, so did they...and let Weimann in for the winner. That's a team player that is!

[CT Villan]

Kozak won more in the air tonight than Gestede has all season.

Agreed that he lacked a little match sharpness and looked buggered after an hour, but those things will only changed with game time.

There's no way he should be dropped after his efforts tonight. In fact, we should start with the same starting XI on Saturday.

[Toronto Villa]

Kozak would benefit from someone like Traore beating the full back and getting in early crosses. High or low, I think he has the intelligence of subtle movement that Gestede simply doesn't have. Shame Traore is injured and Grealish is still sick or out for whatever reason.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Cant fault the work he put in



http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/35229763

[exigo]

Cant fault the work he put in



http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/35229763

That alone makes him difficult to mark. You could sit in a deckchair smoking Gauloises to keep Gestede in your pocket.

[Damo70]

Kozak won more in the air tonight than Gestede has all season.

Agreed that he lacked a little match sharpness and looked buggered after an hour, but those things will only changed with game time.

There's no way he should be dropped after his efforts tonight. In fact, we should start with the same starting XI on Saturday.

Lacking match sharpness and looking buggered later on is probably a better description than I was thinking of. He looked slow and sluggish when dropping deep to collect and run with the ball but looked a handful in and around the area. With respect to Rudy you can tell who came from Blackburn and who came from Lazio.

[ciggiesnbeer]

With respect to Rudy you can tell who came from Blackburn and who came from Lazio.

Good line that. I may nick it

[fbriai]

Just been reading the match report on the BBC website. They've a photo of the ball going over the line. Kozak is right there next it.

Like others have said. He may not be the best striker in the world, but he will get into the right positions and he will score you goals.

[PaulTheVillan]

He did well considering it was his first competitive game for a long time.

I still think we need someone sharper, someone with some movement.

He's certainly better than Gestede.