Rob Dickie and Zak Vyner

[BCFCGav]

They so deserved to be on the winning team today. I can’t overstate the week they’ve had for us.

I’ll admit with shame, I had the dumbest feeling we’d see a regression from Vyner this season. On the three played so far, he may have gotten even better. Beautiful again today.

Dickie has been everything I hoped when we signed him. Before a ball was kicked I called him my signing of the summer. And that’s no mean feat with the other lads we’ve brought in. He’s been a wall and can do little wrong in my eyes.

These two have me dreaming!

Joe Bryan - it could’ve been you

Edited August 12, 2023 by BCFCGav

[ChrisBW]

Just now, BCFCGav said:

They so deserved to be on the winning team today. I can’t overstate the week they’ve had for us.

I’ll admit with shame, I had the dumbest feeling we’d see a regression from Vyner this season. On the three played so far, he may have gotten even better. Beautiful again today.

Dickie has been everything I hoped when we signed him. Before a ball was kicked I called him my signing of the summer. And that’s no mean feat with the other lads we’ve brought in. He’s been a wall and can do little wrong in my eyes.

These two have me dreaming!

Joe Bryan - it could’ve been you

One thing is for sure, I would not swap Bryan for any of our summer signings.

[Super]

We will have a decent season if we can keep them fit.

[And Its Smith]

Was so happy when we signed Dickie. Mainly cos I watched a lot of him two seasons ago and not much of him last season! He’s very much a confidence player apparently and not many better to give confidence than Pearson I would say 

[Red Army 87]

Dickie reads the game so well, perfect partner for Zak who likes to be aggressive with and without the ball.

[mozo]

Vyner is 26 and Dickie 27, so they're arguably still approaching their best years.

If you find a partnership that works, stick with it!

[Bristol Oil Services]

"£7 mill each, £20 mill the pair ..... getta ya centre backs ... "

[Red Army 75]

Vyner needs to sign a new deal.  2 years ago I was desperate for him to leave. He truly has proved me wrong.  Credit to NP with Vyner 

[Negan]

Got to admit, I know Zak had a good 22/23 season but I was still worried about him but he’s gotten even better. Seems to have gone from someone who was taking their chance to now being the main man. Dickie has been solid but Vyner has been immense. Looks like we FINALLY have a well balanced settled centre back partnership. Just need to get Vyner tied down to a new deal now! 

[Lordofthebling]

Tanner had him on toast today, and no way would i swap bryan for pring or Roberts...

Vyner has picked up where he left last season, assured, solid and confident.

Dickie, what a beast.

Edited August 12, 2023 by Lordofthebling

[REDOXO]

Vyner was easily man of the match today. Outstanding.

Dickie was runner up to Vyner. They look like they are forming one hell of a partnership!

[Gazred]

I thought Vyner was good last season but this one he just has a certain swagger about his game.

[ChrisBW]

8 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

Vyner needs to sign a new deal.  2 years ago I was desperate for him to leave. He truly has proved me wrong.  Credit to NP with Vyner 

And me. Never thought in a million years he would perform like this.

[mozo]

7 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

Vyner needs to sign a new deal.  2 years ago I was desperate for him to leave. He truly has proved me wrong.  Credit to NP with Vyner 

The main credit goes to Vyner. He stayed strong, didn't let his mishaps dent his confidence, and came back improved.

No doubt NP and all the coaching staff had a part to play, but Zak is fulfilling his potential through his mentality.

[Rudolf Hucker]

O’Leary had just one save to make all afternoon, which is a testament to the whole defence but particularly to Vyner and Dickie who were both immense.

[Leveller]

11 minutes ago, mozo said:

The main credit goes to Vyner. He stayed strong, didn't let his mishaps dent his confidence, and came back improved.

No doubt NP and all the coaching staff had a part to play, but Zak is fulfilling his potential through his mentality.

He always had ability on the ball - I suspect the gaffes were largely due to poor positional judgement. Presumably ironing that out is due to coaching.

[Davefevs]

6 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

Was so happy when we signed Dickie. Mainly cos I watched a lot of him two seasons ago and not much of him last season! He’s very much a confidence player apparently and not many better to give confidence than Pearson I would say 

Dickie was a great signing on paper.

 

I do think too much made by various posters (not you per se) about:

• confidence player
• can only play in a three
• cant play left side

The first bullet is as much about the players around him sometimes.  Look how “fragile” Vyner (and Atkinson to an extent) turned it around by getting “coached” on and off the pitch by Naismith and King (who isn’t even a CB).  I’m gonna bleat on about it, because the shit I took (and a small number of others too) for defending King especially in those games, and Naismith to a lesser extent…I feel justified from what we see now (and last season) from Zak.  There was a bigger picture, I don’t even think it was that hard to spot, but if fans have closed minds, short-termism, that’s up to them.  I’m really pleased for him.  I do have some worries about a drop off, but I’ve got to admit it looks bloody unlikely.

Anyway back to Dickie.  Some of the protection QPR’s centre-backs got from their midfield was non-existent.  It’s alright, even under Beale playing how they did, but they were very open.

He’d played the vast majority of his time at Oxford in a four AND as the left.

His media interview this week showed a player who understands his role / position and as important understands his teammates too.  Was a great insight into how he perceives the game.

I often wonder when a new player is signed whether they try to get an understanding of the player’s football intelligence or not.

 

Digressing again, Scott’s interview yesterday said he’d not spoken to the manager yet.  That maybe just focussing on the signing.  I’d like to think Scott had spoken to him before the deal got done.

[Shauntaylor85]

Both class, really impressive. 

[Midlands Robin]

10 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

His media interview this week showed a player who understands his role / position and as important understands his teammates too.  Was a great insight into how he perceives the game.

That pre game interview was wonderful. They are so often cliche after cliche and "yeah but not but" but he gave a real insight into how he's settling in at the club, how he wants to play and how he's working with Zak to develop the CB partnership.

 

[steviestevieneville]

22 minutes ago, BCFCGav said:

They so deserved to be on the winning team today. I can’t overstate the week they’ve had for us.

I’ll admit with shame, I had the dumbest feeling we’d see a regression from Vyner this season. On the three played so far, he may have gotten even better. Beautiful again today.

Dickie has been everything I hoped when we signed him. Before a ball was kicked I called him my signing of the summer. And that’s no mean feat with the other lads we’ve brought in. He’s been a wall and can do little wrong in my eyes.

These two have me dreaming!

Joe Bryan - it could’ve been you

With hindsight admittedly . I’m really pleased we got roberts in instead of joe. Nothing against him at all but it just seems a better fit. 

[Out of his pie crust]

Vyner has improved on last season no doubt in my mind

[steviestevieneville]

17 minutes ago, Leveller said:

He always had ability on the ball - I suspect the gaffes were largely due to poor positional judgement. Presumably ironing that out is due to coaching.

It was concentration imo. Like you say , nothing to do with technical ability . He just used to switch off 

[Dolman_Stand]

Nor seen today's game but both were excellent last weekend, getting Vyner signed up to a new contract should be the No.1 priority at the moment. He is fast becoming one of the best CB's in the league and quite rightly should be paid as such

[cidercity1987]

8 minutes ago, Dolman_Stand said:

Nor seen today's game but both were excellent last weekend, getting Vyner signed up to a new contract should be the No.1 priority at the moment. He is fast becoming one of the best CB's in the league and quite rightly should be paid as such

Yeah I agree about last week

Preston were running through the midfield with ease but Oleary had very little to do thanks to the defence.

First time in years we have looked pretty solid at the back

[Nugget]

Last centre back pairing this strong being Webster & Kalas perhaps  

[You Do The Dziekanowski]

Just me who thinks they are very weak, concede far too many chances and arguably our worst CB partnerships since Fontaine and Al Abd. Would not surprise me if we concede the most goals in the championship with these two as a pairing

 

 

*trying to ensure we aren’t jinxing them, very good today. Vyner or Beckenbaurer with some of his passes. Dickie, composed and solid.*

[redkev]

53 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Dickie was a great signing on paper.

 

I do think too much made by various posters (not you per se) about:

• confidence player
• can only play in a three
• cant play left side

The first bullet is as much about the players around him sometimes.  Look how “fragile” Vyner (and Atkinson to an extent) turned it around by getting “coached” on and off the pitch by Naismith and King (who isn’t even a CB).  I’m gonna bleat on about it, because the shit I took (and a small number of others too) for defending King especially in those games, and Naismith to a lesser extent…I feel justified from what we see now (and last season) from Zak.  There was a bigger picture, I don’t even think it was that hard to spot, but if fans have closed minds, short-termism, that’s up to them.  I’m really pleased for him.  I do have some worries about a drop off, but I’ve got to admit it looks bloody unlikely.

Anyway back to Dickie.  Some of the protection QPR’s centre-backs got from their midfield was non-existent.  It’s alright, even under Beale playing how they did, but they were very open.

He’d played the vast majority of his time at Oxford in a four AND as the left.

His media interview this week showed a player who understands his role / position and as important understands his teammates too.  Was a great insight into how he perceives the game.

I often wonder when a new player is signed whether they try to get an understanding of the player’s football intelligence or not.

 

Digressing again, Scott’s interview yesterday said he’d not spoken to the manager yet.  That maybe just focussing on the signing.  I’d like to think Scott had spoken to him before the deal got done.

Going back about 15 years I use to coach and manage a u18 side , we never had the most talented side but what we did have was intelligent young lads and even at that age it made such a difference in there performances, I see that in Zak & rob very intelligent who understand the game 

[David Brent]

Dickie will only get better playing alongside someone of Zak’s ability too. 

[David Brent]

12 minutes ago, Nugget said:

Last centre back pairing this strong being Webster & Kalas perhaps  

This latest pairing was considerably cheaper too

[BUTOR]

Vyner has been on the receiving end of some pretty bad abuse in the past, often the scapegoat. What he feels he owes us I don’t know. If there is an offer on the table and it’s as yet unsigned that may give an indication. Has there been any official word on that? Just a fear of mine. He oozes class and there’ll be a long line of suitors particularly if he is somehow improving even further. Of course, you could argue the club itself stuck by him and they did, but I remember being in away ends where he was quite viciously singled out during bad team performances. Online too. All love now, but that sort of thing tends to linger for the individual.