Emi or Maddison?

[kick it off 1,948]

This question popped in my head earlier and I was really conflicted.

If you could have one, but only one of them in your starting 11, who do you take?

I thought Maddison would be the best player I ever see in a City shirt, but I think this season, and especially the last 5 or 6 games, Emi would shade it for me.

Edited April 6, 2021 by kick it off

[cambridgeshire canary 6,669]

[All the Germans 1,074]

Please don't make me choose. Both incredibly gifted and I feel privileged to have seen both. Imagine Maddison at 10 in this team? 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,776]

Buendia is definitely better now than Maddison was when he was here. Whether or not he's better than Maddison is now is another question.

[Wardogz 72]

There's no way I'd swap Maddison for Emi right now. In my time of watching Norwich, 1992 onwards, I don't think we've had a more technically gifted player.

[sgncfc 1,221]

It's a tough one now. Like you, I never thought I'd see a better footballer in a Norwich shirt than Maddison. But Emi's last two or three games have just been at another level and I think what he does that Maddison didn't do is to raise the level of his teammates. Cantwell in particular has been improved so much by playing with him, but also Dowell tonight looked really good (if a little slow in comparison....)

So I'm now thinking Emi might shade it.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

I said Buendia edged it for me before the season, but that was more on an entertainment level, more heart than head. Now he’s added the goals to his game (albeit preferring the bottom corners which are less spectacular than Maddison) I certainly think he is undoubtedly a better player than we ever saw Maddison for us. But it remains to be seen if he can continue doing the business at a higher level - I happen to think he can. Let’s hope we don’t get to find this out any time soon! 

[Pukki Blinders 96]

Emi for me. Maddison was great and obviously is still great, but I just think apart from maybe taking a corner that beats the first man, there's nothing Emi can't do. I genuinely think he's destined for a move to a Real Madrid or PSG in a season or two. As fantastic as the likes of Hucks and Wes were, I think in terms of pure, footballing ability, Buendia's the best player I've seen play for Norwich in my lifetime.

[Midlands Yellow 3,920]

When Emi does leave you’ll feel the hurt more. Maddison was great but  Buendia is better all round. 

[Midlands Yellow 3,920]

1 hour ago, Pukki Blinders said:

Emi for me. Maddison was great and obviously is still great, but I just think apart from maybe taking a corner that beats the first man, there's nothing Emi can't do. I genuinely think he's destined for a move to a Real Madrid or PSG in a season or two. As fantastic as the likes of Hucks and Wes were, I think in terms of pure, footballing ability, Buendia's the best player I've seen play for Norwich in my lifetime.

Or many lifetimes. 

[Terminally Yellow 2,448]

Wes > Emi > Maddison 

IMO (entirely based on their careers at Norwich, not considering Madders at Leicester)

[All the Germans 1,074]

11 minutes ago, Terminally Yellow said:

Wes > Emi > Maddison 

IMO (entirely based on their careers at Norwich, not considering Madders at Leicester)

I think you have that backwards. (Maddison / Emi debatable but Wes definitely bottom).

[Canary dwarf 221]

1 hour ago, Pukki Blinders said:

Emi for me. Maddison was great and obviously is still great, but I just think apart from maybe taking a corner that beats the first man, there's nothing Emi can't do. I genuinely think he's destined for a move to a Real Madrid or PSG in a season or two. As fantastic as the likes of Hucks and Wes were, I think in terms of pure, footballing ability, Buendia's the best player I've seen play for Norwich in my lifetime.

Yeah completely agree , so let's enjoy him while we can. otbc

[Terminally Yellow 2,448]

15 minutes ago, All the Germans said:

I think you have that backwards. (Maddison / Emi debatable but Wes definitely bottom).

Not a chance mate, Wes still my favourite by a country mile. 

 

[All the Germans 1,074]

3 minutes ago, Terminally Yellow said:

Not a chance mate, Wes still my favourite by a country mile. 

 

Favourite does not equate to better. Leon McKenzie was one of my favourites, that doesn't mean he is or was better than others. Objectively, as much affection as I have for Wes, he is not even in the same category as Emi or Maddison.

Edited April 7, 2021 by All the Germans

[LaUnionCanary 85]

Totally agree with that assessment. Great servant and player that he was for us Wes was never in the class that Emi is displaying on a regular basis. Madders, in the one full season he had with us, was the focal point for all our attacking so we were more easily contained as opponents knew shut him down and you stifled City. Teams are unable to shut Buendia down without trying to cripple him, so he is No1 for me.

[Terminally Yellow 2,448]

6 hours ago, All the Germans said:

Favourite does not equate to better. Leon McKenzie was one of my favourites, that doesn't mean he is or was better than others. Objectively, as much affection as I have for Wes, he is not even in the same category as Emi or Maddison.

You're wrong. Simple as. 

[kirku 1,332]

Emi is the best player I've seen play for us

[Mark .Y. 351]

Emi for me.............. has a football brain that thinks twice as quickly as anybody elses

[Wroxham Bridge 22]

Maddison is/was better at free kicks but Emi for me also

[king canary 7,560]

There are so many little, wonderful things about Emi's game- the way he can change direction 180 degrees at speed with just one touch for example. Not many players can do that.

I do honestly think you could have Madders and Emi in the same team and they'd thrive- Emi likes to come in from wide, Maddison likes to stay central, Emi likes to pick a pass, Maddison loves a shot from distance. Put those two together and they'd be incredible. 

[Excited Canary 19]

1 hour ago, Terminally Yellow said:

You're wrong. Simple as. 

Erm, no he isn’t. As much as I loved Wes, there is a reason that the best club Wes played for was Norwich, whilst Emi will play Champions League football (and no, not because of loyalty).  A different league.

[AJ 1,218]

Two very different players so hard to compare directly, Maddison probably created a lot more and was younger. Emi, now he seems better at controlling his temperament, has been explosive recently. I think as a footballer in terms of pure natural ability Emi is better than Maddison, but I'm not sure he's better overall just yet. Maddison could dictate games, Emi is just starting to do this

Edited April 7, 2021 by AJ

[king canary 7,560]

2 hours ago, Excited Canary said:

Erm, no he isn’t. As much as I loved Wes, there is a reason that the best club Wes played for was Norwich, whilst Emi will play Champions League football (and no, not because of loyalty).  A different league.

I agree but I do wonder how far Wes could have gone if he'd started his career 10/15 years later. 

When he first started teams were still pretty wedded to flat midfields and the 'number 10 role' was much less of a thing, meaning he spent lots of time shunted out to the left. Add in his diminutive stature which would have put off a few old school type managers (especially in England) and I think those things hurt him.

These days most teams play with a number 10 type and are more willing to give shorter/smaller players a fair go. While Emi and Maddison are both better players than Wes I do think he could have achieved more than he did in his career if he was starting out now.

[All the Germans 1,074]

2 hours ago, king canary said:

I agree but I do wonder how far Wes could have gone if he'd started his career 10/15 years later. 

When he first started teams were still pretty wedded to flat midfields and the 'number 10 role' was much less of a thing, meaning he spent lots of time shunted out to the left. Add in his diminutive stature which would have put off a few old school type managers (especially in England) and I think those things hurt him.

These days most teams play with a number 10 type and are more willing to give shorter/smaller players a fair go. While Emi and Maddison are both better players than Wes I do think he could have achieved more than he did in his career if he was starting out now.

Agree with all of this. On the other side, he'd be expected to use his right leg for more than just standing on though!

[hogesar 9,609]

2 hours ago, king canary said:

I agree but I do wonder how far Wes could have gone if he'd started his career 10/15 years later. 

When he first started teams were still pretty wedded to flat midfields and the 'number 10 role' was much less of a thing, meaning he spent lots of time shunted out to the left. Add in his diminutive stature which would have put off a few old school type managers (especially in England) and I think those things hurt him.

These days most teams play with a number 10 type and are more willing to give shorter/smaller players a fair go. While Emi and Maddison are both better players than Wes I do think he could have achieved more than he did in his career if he was starting out now.

Really good points. Wes having to play most of his early career as a left midfielder which is totally unsuitable to his attributes.

[TheGunnShow 5,908]

Emi's more complete and does a lot more of the donkey work than Maddison. Not saying Maddison was a prima-donna by any means, but Buendia is unusually tigerish off the ball and deserves a lot of credit for that.

But if only he could hit a set-piece like Maddison...

[Midlands Yellow 3,920]

19 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

Emi's more complete and does a lot more of the donkey work than Maddison. Not saying Maddison was a prima-donna by any means, but Buendia is unusually tigerish off the ball and deserves a lot of credit for that.

But if only he could hit a set-piece like Maddison...

Time for Mario to give him free kick coaching. Awesome player and will never be forgotten whatever the future holds. 

[Commonsense 608]

17 hours ago, sgncfc said:

It's a tough one now. Like you, I never thought I'd see a better footballer in a Norwich shirt than Maddison. But Emi's last two or three games have just been at another level and I think what he does that Maddison didn't do is to raise the level of his teammates. Cantwell in particular has been improved so much by playing with him, but also Dowell tonight looked really good (if a little slow in comparison....)

So I'm now thinking Emi might shade it.

Absolutely spot on. Maddison was absolutely superb when he was here, but totally stood out. Emi is brilliant, not just in what he does but in his connection with the others. The assists for Teemu, the partnership with Cantwell and the willingness to go back and defend. I never thought I would say it but I think Emi shades it. All we need to do now is get him to stay

[1902 1,167]

I don't really get this discussion. It's obvious that now we are going back into the premiership, Maddison will be leaving Leicester and coming back to where he belongs. The inherent justice of this will be so clear to all that they won't even ask for a fee, they will even pay for his removal van. 

Then we will see Buendia and Maddison in their rightful places, on the same team sheet and the arguement will be settled by clear objective evidence.