Shop Competitions Ring Tones Betting Tips Fantasy
 
EURO 2004 ANALYSIS
Picture Baros - top scorer at Euro 2004 so far (Getty Images)

MILAN NO MYSTERY TO CZECHS

E-mail this article E-mail Article Print this article Print-Friendly Subscribe to sportinglife RSS feed Subscribe to RSS Feed
Digg this story post this story to del.icio.us - social bookmarking site Post to del.icio.us

By Stephen Joyce

Euro 2004 can never suffer from a surfeit of goals or skills.

But as TV sport, it certainly suffers from a surfeit of pundits.

Gangs of three or four are lined up to chew on every match in Portugal, analysing the performances with cliches and cheap platitudes.

But after the Czech Republic had at last found top gear to dispose of a willing but wanting Danish side in the last of the quarter-finals, Gary Lineker threw his panelists a question from left field.

Why does Anfield resemble the Bermuda Triangle?

Why do international stars vanish into thin air and be replaced by shadows of their former selves.

Minutes after watching Kop flop Milan Baros produce a display of pace, power and precision, Lineker contrasted his goal stats between his country and his club.

The country gets the better deal.

Bravely, Alan Hansen stepped up to the plate to explain why there appears to be two versions of Milan Baros - and cited Michael Owen.

The effervescent Baros is able to feed off the presence of his giant strike partner Jan Koller for the Czechs but he finds one-dimensional football at Liverpool dedicated to the cause of Owen.

Hansen noted that both his goals in the 3-0 victory over the Danes came about from him having space behind the defenders to run into.

That he concluded was a luxury he does not get at Anfield where markers continually drop deep to nullify the ball over the top to Owen.

Baros is forced to bump up against Premiership defences locked solid on their own 18-yard line and, for all his exuberant verve, he does not possess the cheek of a Zidane to pick such a lock.

But the Czechs have found the key to Baros.

Koller takes plenty of weight off him up front, Nedved services him with through balls from midfield and Poborsky chips in with crosses from the right wing.

Baros has responded with five goals from four games in this tournament.

But the Czechs may also have unwittingly unearthed a crucial lesson for England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

England went out of Euro 2004 and have flattered to deceive on many occasions since Eriksson took over because of Owen.

England continually play the ball long in search of Owen's pace when a short pass square to another white shirt is almost always the better option.

England's wasteful distribution is too often centred on the persistent desire to find the early ball for the striker, which Eriksson seems unable - or unwilling - to curb.

New Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has a summer of thinking ahead during which he can work out if Owen and Baros is a viable attacking ploy.

Czech coach Karel Bruckner might have some useful advice for him.

  Latest Euro 2004 Stories
 GREEK FAIRYTALE COMPLETE
 REHHAGEL HAILS SENSATIONAL SUCCESS
 ZAGORAKIS PROUD OF GREEK UNDERDOGS
 SCOLARI GENEROUS IN DEFEAT
 SHEER WILL CARRIES HELLAS TO HEAVEN
 PORTUGAL v GREECE MIN-BY-MIN
 PORTUGAL v GREECE PLAYER RATINGS
 EURO 2004 FINAL KEY BATTLES
 LUIS FIGO CLOCKWATCH
 PRIDE AND DESPAIR FOR PORTUGAL

Click here to send us your sporting feedback

 Team News
Portugal 0 Greece 1
Full Story
Full Match Report
Min-By-Min Report
Greece 1 Czech Rep 0
Full Story
Full Match Report
Min-By-Min Report
Portugal 2 Holland 1
Full Story
Full Match Report
Min-by-Min Report
Czech Rep 3 Denmark 0
Full Story
Full Match Report
Min-by-Min Report
Swe 0 Holl 0 (4-5)
Full Story
Full Match Report
Min-By-Min Report
France 0 Greece 1
Full Story
Full Match Report
Min-by-Min Report
Port 2 Eng 2 (6-5)
Full Story
Full Match Report
Min-by-Min Report
Video Coverage!
No Registration Needed. Video News And Team Profiles!
Our Portugal Diary!
Gambling And Football With Our Man Mike Holden!
England T-Shirts!
Remember Better Times With Sticker Legend T-Shirts