pearces greens":cbwl98uf said:
Knibbsworth":cbwl98uf said:
Strange thread but I had an argument recently with a (non Argyle supporting) friend about who the better player was/is.
My opinion is Carey, his is Buzsaky.
The immediate observation is that they were playing two divisions apart. If you include QPR, Akos played in the Premier League, for Hungary internationally and also under Jose Mourinho at Porto. So Akos has undeniably made more of himself at a higher level.
However Carey's CV at Argyle has been near legendary. He has been the driving force behind all manner of goals and assists, some world class goals - long range belters, dribbles, sprints and finishes. All while pulling his weight and committing to defending, which Akos never even pretended to be interested in doing. Pulls had our best player at the time on the bench for exactly this reason. Akos looked streets above with his silky moves, but Carey is direct - if he doesn't deliver goals its chances and assists.
If you could have one player at their best for Argyle which one do you start and which one do you bench? A direct comparison of player v player.
If your "mate" is a non Argyle supporter, how many times did he watch either player to make a choice ?
He watched Buzsaky in the flesh once or twice and found him a memorable talent, which is exactly what Akos was.
I got up YouTube videos of two seasons worth of Carey putting pinpoint crosses on strikers heads, killer through balls, Scholes like cross field balls, long range strikes etc. but he was not impressed. He found the smooth tekkers of Akos, the cruyff turns, the backheel nutmegs, the dropped shoulders, the feints, and the mazy midfield dribbles the evidence of a much more naturally gifted, talented, enigmatic, better player.
My argument was that Carey's genius lies in being direct. His vision and his passes lead to chances, chances which so often lead to goals. Goals are what win games, not the judges scorecards for showing off and technique demonstrated. Carey's long range threat is as dangerous as I have ever seen in a player at Argyle, ever, including Akos (who is also right up there). But whereas Akos hit one or two memorable belters, Carey often delivers one or two a month. Buzsaky for me never used his outstanding talent for the benefit of the team enough. He could skin two or three Championship level centre midfielders easily enough before spraying a quality pass, but so often it didn't really lead to anything. You rarely come out of Home Park after an Argyle win where Carey hasn't either totally pulled the strings, set up the key chances or scored the big goals. Carey's importance to our team just cannot be understated.
People can argue that Carey has been playing two divisions below Akos. But it is pretty evident that Carey was never a League Two quality player - he was streets ahead of the rest in terms of quality, ever since the thirty yard goal away at AFC Wimbledon on his debut. Jed Wallace was the same at one point for Pompey too, but he got a move to Wolves whereas Carey chose to stay and play for his guru. Numerous impartial pundits have identified Carey as the best player outside of the Championship - that includes League One as well as Two. Skynet revealed Carey had offers from Middlesbrough and Sheffield United among others who are bigger Championship clubs than Argyle were. So for me, doing it at a lower standard argument doesn't cut it - a sweetly hit thirty yarder goes in at most levels, and that's why big Championship clubs wanted him.
