Martin O’Neill is convinced that Milan Baros can still be an asset for Aston Villa, as long as he can overcome a crisis of confidence.
Striker Baros, who was Villa’s leading scorer with 12 goals last season, is struggling to recapture his best form since returning from a foot injury that he sustained when on World Cup duty with the Czech Republic in the summer.
He found himself dropped from the Villa side for several games before returning against Portsmouth on Saturday but is searching for his first goal of the campaign.
O’Neill has exercised great patience in continuing to publicly support a player who looked set to move to SV Hamburg in the close season and he will hope that faith is repaid.
O’Neill said: "I am sure when Milan plays at international level, his confidence is fine. It’s just taking it into the normal league games. It’s about having the confidence to perform.
"I have not seen the best of Milan Baros yet and it might be a case that Aston Villa haven’t seen the best of him for one reason or another.
"I am sure he would have expected to have made a greater impact here, just for himself as much as anything else, and for one reason or another it hasn’t happened. But there is time for him to do it."
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