Zak Vyner player of the season so far

[BS3_RED]

for me

 

After a start to the season that got him some stick (not by me) wow. This lad for me has been a huge reason for our improvement and looks like a proper centre half. I thought he was outstanding at times yesterday with his positioning to block of runs etc.

Certainly the most improved player without question.

As everyone else is getting a thread I wanted to give Zak the credit he has earned.

Edited February 26, 2023 by BS3_RED

[Vidal]

Massive improvement to be fair. I never ever thought he would make it as a championship defender. 

[johnheadbcfc]

He used to scare me when he received the ball, what a massive turnaround long may it continue.

At this rate of improvement we will be warning off other clubs sniffing about!

[BS3_RED]

21 minutes ago, Vidal said:

Massive improvement to be fair. I never ever thought he would make it as a championship defender. 

I think there were a lot of doubts but him and Atkinson worked very well together and him and Kalas yesterday and at Sunderland last week worked very well.  

Edited February 26, 2023 by BS3_RED

[ZumerZetSmithy]

It's interesting  how much time he has on the ball now no panic  a solid player .  I thought James was excellent  yesterday  but Zac is my man of the season 

[Pezo]

I do wonder what has changed. He was really struggling but this season looks a well rounded championship defender, that doesn't happen overnight.

[Numero Uno]

Confidence levels have gone through the roof. The ability to concentrate was always his issue, not the ability to play. I think the lad expected to be on his way out at the end of last season and it never happened so perhaps it relaxed him a bit and he thought "nothing to lose now if I do get a chance".

[Port Said Red]

I know not everyone sees it this way, but I think 9 clean sheets in the championship plus one against a championship club in the cup is pretty impressive, Zac has been a huge part of that and his confidence must be off the scale right now.

[Numero Uno]

6 minutes ago, ZumerZetSmithy said:

It's interesting  how much time he has on the ball now no panic  a solid player .  I thought James was excellent  yesterday  but Zac is my man of the season 

It's amazing what confidence does. Played a rank ball early in the game, overhit by only the 40 yards!! In the past that would have been groans all round the stadium with some 22 stone ex-Suburban League Division 9 player who chats football like a pro shouting "Vyner, your ******* useless" etc. etc. Now he just shrugs it off and gets on with it and the fans are also cutting him some slack. Shows the effect that getting behind the players can have tbh.

[firstdivision]

Easy to forget he started 38 games in 2020-21 season when he did pretty well in different positions (including midfield). He had a dip last season but fans getting on his back was absurd. Remember the same thing happening to Gerry Gow. 

[Alessandro]

7 minutes ago, firstdivision said:

Easy to forget he started 38 games in 2020-21 season when he did pretty well in different positions (including midfield). He had a dip last season but fans getting on his back was absurd. Remember the same thing happening to Gerry Gow. 

Was going to say something similar - he's only now getting a consistent run at CB and he's steadily improving game by game to a very high level. 

His experience at RB helps him step out well with the ball, his experience in midfield helps him read the game better - he's found his place at CB.

Certainly "Most Improved Player of the Season".

[Packman]

Passing range is also very good, could see him in the prem at this rate.

 

[2015]

I was a big critic of his because of the amount of unforced errors he would make but fair play, he has been our player of the season.

A settled back 4 has also helped us at the back massively

[Vidal]

19 minutes ago, Percy Pig said:

Think about Zak is, he's always been very good. 

Can't remember many bad games at all. 

What made his presence a worry was how error prone he was. Once a game he'd switch off at a corner or mess up simple pass.

But talk to Plymouth fans and they'll tell you even back during his loan there he looked like a rolls Royce of a defender, calm, composed and technically superb. 

It's amazing to see him cut the errors out and play with confidence. Another in a long long list of players who have improved massively, especially mentally, under Pearson. 

One of the first names on the team sheet for me, now. 

He was an absolute liability. Falling asleep time and time again. 

[Son of Fred]

16 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

some 22 stone ex-Suburban League Division 9 player who chats football like a pro shouting "Vyner, your ******* useless

I never realised we'd met previously, - just one thing for the record, it was division 5, thank you very much

[steviestevieneville]

57 minutes ago, BS3_RED said:

for me

 

After a start to the season that got him some stick (not by me) wow. This lad for me has been a huge reason for our improvement and looks like a proper centre half. I thought he was outstanding at times yesterday with his positioning to block of runs etc.

Certainly the most improved player without question.

As everyone else is getting a thread I wanted to give Zak the credit he has earned.

Said on here. After the debacle away at Swansea last season , I didn’t want him in our team again. He was a liability. Takes a lot of mental strength to come back from that . He’s been outstanding so far this season . Well done Zak .

[cidered abroad]

I keep repeating on here that the back three of the under 21's that I saw at Taunton in July 2016 left me with goosebumps.

And now, for once in my life, I have been proved right.

O'Leary,  Kelly and Vyner.

[Red-Robbo]

I think growing maturity, plus the extra skillset our coaches are giving him has made him one hell of a player. And he flies under the radar. Fans at other clubs probably do not know the name, and if they know it, they do not know how critical he's been to our post-Christmas turnaround.

I think for the first time in a long-time, young and mid-career players seem to improve at our club. Under LJ many seemed to go backwards and end up a worse player than when they'd arrived!

Zak himself of course deserves major praise for stepping up to the plate, fighting for his place and now it's rock-solid, showing no nerves and performing well again and again.  He's the iceman at the heart of our defence. 

[steviestevieneville]

24 minutes ago, firstdivision said:

Easy to forget he started 38 games in 2020-21 season when he did pretty well in different positions (including midfield). He had a dip last season but fans getting on his back was absurd. Remember the same thing happening to Gerry Gow. 

To be fair we were a collective shambles that season & Zak was one of them . I never thought technically he was a bad player it was between his ears , which defines the better players with speed of thought & making the right decision on the ball . He’s doing that now & to be honest , I didn’t think he had that in him . 

[Jacki]

As others have said, it was never about ability with Vyner. He’s clearly got bags of talent and that was apparent even last season. It was the lapses in concentration and subsequent errors that caused the issues.

I remember going to Coventry away last season and saying to my mate what a great first half Vyner had just had. He was excellent… won everything, calm on the ball, he looked a proper player. Within about 5 minutes of the restart he got the wrong side of his man, chopped him down and gave away a penalty. That was just how it was with him at the time…. He could be an accident waiting to happen. 

This year has been completely different though. He’s played like he did in that first half consistently now, for months and looks a fantastic player. I hope we tie him down to a longer contract so we can see the best of him over the next few seasons. 

[downendcity]

Has Max replacing Bentley in goal made a difference to the collective confidence of the defence in front of him?

[Andrew_V1]

Completely agree with this. I like most would have gladly looked to move Zak on last summer but boy has he taken his chance this season.

Along with the emergence of Conway pre injury Zak’s improvement is one of the highlights of the season.

[mozo]

Matty James might pip him to it but he's a contender.

[Numero Uno]

20 minutes ago, downendcity said:

Has Max replacing Bentley in goal made a difference to the collective confidence of the defence in front of him?

Let's be fair, as good a shot stopper as Bentley was and as much as Max still has to do to turn into "very good Championship Number 1" it has not harmed us one iota making that change, in fact the complete opposite. Take yesterday, gets blocked off at a corner and might have conceded when they hit the post (happens but it needs to become a rare event) but literally 60 seconds later he comes right to the edge of his penalty area to take a floated high ball that Bentley would have expected a defender to head away. Defenders couldn't describe how much they love a keeper that will do that.

[Son of Fred]

30 minutes ago, Andrew_V1 said:

Completely agree with this. I like most would have gladly looked to move Zak on last summer but boy has he taken his chance this season.

Along with the emergence of Conway pre injury Zak’s improvement is one of the highlights of the season.

Talking of Conway -' haven't heard any news of how he is progressing ???......

[Davefevs]

57 minutes ago, downendcity said:

Has Max replacing Bentley in goal made a difference to the collective confidence of the defence in front of him?

Yes.  He’s decisive, and that’s all CBs want.

[Curr Avon]

2 hours ago, BS3_RED said:

for me

 

After a start to the season that got him some stick (not by me) wow. This lad for me has been a huge reason for our improvement and looks like a proper centre half. I thought he was outstanding at times yesterday with his positioning to block of runs etc.

Certainly the most improved player without question.

As everyone else is getting a thread I wanted to give Zak the credit he has earned.

I'm worried that if Zak carries on with these imperious performances that Premier League, or top Championship clubs (recently relegated with deep pockets) will come knocking.

Every silver lining has a cloud.

29 minutes ago, Son of Fred said:

Talking of Conway -' haven't heard any news of how he is progressing ???......

Back on the grass training with the squad, according to Nige's Hull presser, so expect him sometime in March.

[Davefevs]

18 minutes ago, Curr Avon said:

Back on the grass training with the squad, according to Nige's Hull presser, so expect him sometime in March.

Doing some bits with the squad, and some bits on his own…he’s not yet fully training.  But he’s ahead of Kal.

[firstdivision]

2 hours ago, steviestevieneville said:

To be fair we were a collective shambles that season & Zak was one of them . I never thought technically he was a bad player it was between his ears , which defines the better players with speed of thought & making the right decision on the ball . He’s doing that now & to be honest , I didn’t think he had that in him . 

I don’t think he was in 20-21. It was last season he struggled. In 20-21, he was playing in a team that had more injuries than the Light Brigade and he held up reasonably well. But it was a huge challenge for everyone. We were playing anyone with two legs in the last part of the season. 

[steviestevieneville]

1 minute ago, firstdivision said:

I don’t think he was in 20-21. It was last season he struggled. In 20-21, he was playing in a team that had more injuries than the Light Brigade and he held up reasonably well. But it was a huge challenge for everyone. We were playing anyone with two legs in the last part of the season. 

His problem throughout his career has been mental not technical . He has rectified it somehow . Very happy to eat huge amounts of humble pie where Zak’s concerned . Nailed on for player of the year imo