Akos Raring To Go For 09/10!

After a frustrating ankle injury kept Akos Buzsaky out of the Rangers` line-up at the start of the 08/09 season, the Magical Magyar returned to first team action in the Carling Cup 3rd round tie away to Aston Villa on September 24th ’08. After a few appearances, including some as substitute, and a cracking goal against Nottingham Forest, Akos seemed back to his best. And so it was off to Old Trafford, for the Carling Cup 4th round tie against Champions, Manchester United, on 11t November 2008.

Akos lasted 33 minutes on the pitch before having to be substituted with, not a recurrence of the old ankle injury, but serious damage to his anterior cruciate ligament – 33 minutes of play in the Theatre of Dreams ending, for Buzsaky at least, as a nightmare as his season was now over.

After two operations and months of rehabilitation, and sporting a fetching five-o`clock-shadow and moustache, Akos is now working hard and with gritty determination towards his comeback for the Rs – at the start of the 09/10 season. With pre-season only three months away(!),QPR World asked our elusive Number 10 if he thought he would be ready by then.

“Yes, of course, if everything is alright, then in two months I will be fully fit. We are looking for me to be back in full training by the end of May,” the Magical Magyar declared positively.

“I know that the boys are going to have a holiday, but I am going to train the whole summer. So if I can train through June, I am going to be fit for the beginning of July for the pre-season.”

Akos plans to start pre-season in better shape than his colleagues who have taken time to sun themselves, whilst he works in the gym! He realises that, having been out for at least seven months, he needs to try to return “stronger than before,” which he would be extremely satisfied with.

This particular injury, damaging the a.c.l. in his knee, is the first such serious, long-term injury Akos has sustained in his playing career to-date (no more, please!) But he seemed pretty philosophical:

“I have never had a knee problem before, and this was so unfortunate. But that`s life!

“I dealt with it. Now I want to make sure that the knee is going to be fine, every muscle group around the knee is going to be strong, and then I can be back.”

“You have to be strong to do the same things in the gym every day and the weights. It is not easy. But if you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, then it`s worth it,” Buzsaky admitted in reference to a question about how he had found his time in rehabilitation.

Then talk switched inevitably to our current manager, Paulo Sousa. When Akos last played for us, Gareth Ainsworth was our manager. Before then, when his ankle injury first flared up, Luigi De Canio was manager! And in between, there was Ian Dowie. But Buzz hasn`t played under Sousa, so it was interesting to hear his thoughts on the manager – from a non-playing perspective, that is.

“For me, at the moment, the most important thing is to be back fit as soon as possible. Of course, I watch all the home games and all the games that I can and the trainings.

“I am really impressed with Paulo`s take-over and how they manage the team. I think you can see in our games that we play better. We have this group and we work together.

“I know the results sometimes came and sometimes they didn`t. But I am sure we are going in the right direction and I am looking forward to playing for him,” the Magical Magyar averred.

Our missing Number 10 was compared with recent acquisitions Wayne Routledge and Adel Taarabt – “both exciting and creative players”. With these two players having come in to the Club, did Akos think he was the type of player that attracts Sousa? And Akos` reply?

“I think that if you have more creative players in the squad, that will bring the Club forward. You can create more chances, you can score more goals, and then you can win more games.” Aah, so that`s how it`s done is it Akos?!

“It`s a good thing if you have players who can create and who can score goals. I think that defensive-wise we have done well this whole season. The problem we have had is that we didn`t score enough goals.” You noticed then, did you?!

“With this kind of player, I think we can step up and we can be a good team. Not concede many goals and score a lot of goals.”

And what if Akos Buzsaky and Rowan Vine had been fit this season. What then for Rangers, he was asked.

“I don`t believe in “if”,” Buzz admitted with a wry smile.

“Even if I play, I can have a bad game. Or Rowan can have a bad game. Or we can have a bad period. I was really glad when I came that I had four or five months when I played really well. But it is not always going to be like that!

“But of course, if everybody is fit then we have more of a chance to do well, that`s for sure,” he concluded sagely. Akos is, if nothing else, refreshingly honest in his appraisal of the present QPR team.

I have seen Akos recently, sitting in the Directors` Box with his fellow injured team-mates, hanging his head as yet another chance has gone begging – as frustrated as the rest of us – a fan like we all are: willing our team to score and do well, and celebrating when we do!

So, just how much was our Hungarian hero looking forward to the new season ahead already?

“Oh pretty much! I didn`t kick the ball since the game against Manchester (United!), so I`m really hungry and I just want to be back fit and give my best for the Club.” And so do we, so do we!

By the way, interspersed throughout the interview, reminding us of just what we have missed (as if we need reminding!), QPR World showed clips of some of Buzz`s goals for us last season – including that goal against the Tangerines! (Note to self, when you meet Akos next week at the Kit Sponsors` Evening, you must ask him if he really, really meant to pop the ball in the top left-hand corner from his position out on the right that night!!)

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