Libor Kozák looked a man out of time as Aston Villa tied with Derby County

Who is Libor Kozák?

Well, he’s a striker. He’s a fan-favourite at Villa Park. He’s not a ‘proven goal-scorer’. He’s injury prone. He’s unlucky. He’s slow.

He actually looks like he’d have killed it for Aston Villa back in the roaring twenties. Unfortunately, the modern rules of Association Football do not allow for a battering ram of a forward who can shove smaller defenders out of his path.

After Rudy Gestede was taken off early in the first half against Derby County due to injury, the travelling Villa fanbase screamed out for Libor Kozák. It’s a shame that fondness for certain players doesn’t bolster their attributes, because Libor’s support is world class.

Now, it’s harder to be slower than Joleon Lescott, but when Kozák received the ball at his feet to lead a Villa counter, he looked terribly sludgy. We must remember that Libor has been constantly injured for a number of years, but we also have to acknowledge that he hasn’t exactly been sitting around doing nothing either. He’s played matches, he’s trained - but his fitness is at a shockingly low level. He’s reminiscent of the seventies footballers who chain smoked and binged on alcohol before and after matches.

Kozák also lacks technical ability of any sort, and showed this when a free header came his way, only for him to plough it wide with his forehead. He was unable to win any headers or aerial challenges, he didn’t look strong and he was substituted in the second half looking absolutely broken.

The truth is that Rudy Gestede is almost twice the player that Kozák currently is. He offers so much more on the floor and in the air.

I feel for Libor, but he needs to put a real shift in at Bodymoor Heath to be anywhere near this team and I have a worrying feeling that his career may be coming to an end. I hope he can turn that around.