Baros better than club class

That Milan Baros could end up as the tournament’s leading goalscorer is a surprise, as much as anything is a surprise in this tournamen...

That Milan Baros could end up as the tournament’s leading goalscorer is a surprise, as much as anything is a surprise in this tournament of upsets. With the best of attacking players on view — only those from Brazil and Africa were missing — few would have plumped for the 22-year-old Czech to end up with the Golden Ball.

But what is not a surprise is that he has flourished as a striker for this attractive Czech team, or that his international form is in such marked contrast to the last domestic season with Liverpool.

Because the two teams play vastly different styles of football. While Czech coach Karel Brueckner has an attacking style with a nominally defensive midfield, Gerard Houllier — now, of course, the former Liverpool manager — drew much criticism for his over-cautious, defensive style. And for persisting with Emil Heskey in the face of all available evidence.

Baros’s 21 goals in 29 internationals (11 in the last 10 matches) is simple to comprehend when you see the midfield that supplies him the passes: Nedved, Rosicky, Poborsky, Galasek. And Jan Koller alongside to distract the defence. The emphasis is on attack, the moves go forward; sooner or later, whether there’ll be a killer pass to convert.

Gerrard, Hamann, Murphy and Kewell aren’t quite the same thing. And for all their attacking skills, they were often reined in by Houllier.

When Baros returned from a five-month lay-off last season — he suffered a broken ankle — and started scoring, all seemed well.

Till the match against Manchester United in April.

Baros had been named in the starting line-up, when senior teammates asked Houllier to change his plan. Baros was dropped, Kewell played off Owen instead and Liverpool won 1-0. It was the end of Baros’s season.

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The next should be much better. For one, there is the confidence of the summer he will be bringing in. For another, Rafa Benitez, the new manager, has a proven record of attacking football with Valencia.

And Baros is optimistic. ‘‘Houllier knocked the confidence out of me. I wasn’t beingpicked and I thought it would be best to leave Liverpool in the summer’’, he told the Liverpool club website.

‘‘I was very hurt at not being in the side. I was fit and felt it was an injustice. But a new coach has come in now and the situation has changed. Every player will start next season from the same point under Rafael Benitez and we will all have something to prove.’’

It seems he’s made a headstart.