O'Leary backs Baros to find top form

David O’Leary believes the best is still to come from Aston Villa striker Milan Baros, despite the Czech Republic international averaging almost a goal every other game for the West Midlands club.

Baros, signed from Liverpool for £6m (€8.8m) in the summer, netted his 10th goal in his 22nd start to decide Saturday’s Barclays Premiership clash with Portsmouth at Villa Park.

O’Leary feels Baros will benefit from having a regular strike partner and he has had various spells alongside Kevin Phillips, Juan Pablo Angel and Luke Moore.

O’Leary said: “If you look at his goals record, I think it’s 10 goals in about 20 games, which is quite good. If he continues that ratio at Villa for the rest of his career, I would settle for it.

“I still think there is more to come from the boy and what we’ve got to do in general is bed him down with a regular partner to get used to. It’s been mixing and matching a little bit up front.

“He is a striker who can score goals and that’s what he will be judged on. As for the rest of his game, I know he can do better and he knows he can do better himself.

“As time goes on, you’ll see a better player. He had injury problems in the early part of the season but has made a good contribution since getting over those.”

Baros was substituted early in the second period after picking up a knock against Pompey but is expected to be fit for Saturday’s trip to Blackburn.

Meanwhile, another Czech, midfielder Patrik Berger, will continue his comeback from his knee injury in Tuesday’s reserve-team outing with Leeds.

The former Portsmouth player completed the first half of the second-team outing with Sunderland a fortnight ago, his first action since suffering the injury against Manchester City at Eastlands in late October.

O’Leary said: “Berger is ready to see if he can get through a 90-minute reserve game. We played him a couple of weeks ago and he had to come off at 45 minutes because that’s all he could give.

“He has had another couple of weeks training since then and I’m looking for him to play 90 minutes of a reserve match.

“Reserve football is nowhere near the standard of the first-team stuff but at least he is getting some sort of competitive action into him. Berger’s knee is fine, but when you are out for a few months you are rusty.”