Maybe he just knows that Anya's successful conversation rate on crosses is so dire as to make it pointless even taking up a position? Even that one didn't beat the first man.
I can't see that Vydra's done anything wrong at all there. He's in space on the edge of the box waiting for a cut-back. As the commentary says - Anya tried to cut it back to Vydra. And failed. Sure he could have been further forward amongst the defenders and got lucky. But he chose, sensibly, to hang back in a bit of space. He didn't have to sprint anywhere. Anya's ball failed to reach him. Not his fault.
Kelso's right. The cut back was aimed at the space Vydra was in but it was unsuccessful. We can spend all day saying he should have busted a gut to get to the back post but I imagine he knows where best to head to receive the ball from Anya.
I was at the game and as soon as Anya was released the whole crowd sensed we'd caught them on the break and were urging Vydra to push up quickly. It was a classic counter attacking move that Vydra excels at, so to see him literally jog up seemed to typify his current attitude and I'm certain was what SJ was referring to when he said he needed to work harder.
At the end of that run Anya had an acre of time and looked up for the pass and there was nobody there. IMO Vydra should have bust a gut to get into the box and Anya would have had that ball over to him. It felt wrong at the time and it feels even more so watching that over again. Maybe he had certain instructions, maybe he expected Anya to be caught and the cross delayed, whatever, it just felt wrong to me.
If Vydra had used his abilities to slow down time that he has, he'd have had even more time to get to the ball. ****.
We know how fast Vydra is. If he'd wanted to, he'd have got to the box in time to be an option for the cross. Instead, he's surrounded on the edge of the box and it would have been almost impossible for Anya to find him and create a chance. If you think this wasn't an attitude thing, watch his reaction after the ball spins out. Head down, trudging. No effort to chase down the or put pressure on the defender. He's been on the pitch 5 minutes, that can't be down to tiredness.
The ball spun off the defender and could've gone anywhere. When you think about it Vydra is mostly a reactionary player, his real success comes from reacting to a pass quicker than a defender and then using his superior pace to get the ball first. However the ball has to at least be in range for his reaction and here it really never was.
By standing in an area surrounded by Charlton players? It would have taken a very special pass from Anya to set up a chance. If this was Fabbrini, or Dyer, or McGugan, or Ranegie, there would be no discussion.
he should have been loving coming on at that point in the game with the opportunity to grab a couple of goals and prove a point. Instead of busting a gut he just played like every other player on the pitch at that point, basically just running the clock down.
But it wasn't Fabbrini, or Dyer, or McGugan, or Ranegie, it was Vydra and he uses his pace to lose defenders that are "surrounding" him. And Fabbrini, or Dyer, or McGugan, or Ranegie would not have been at the back post to tap in that chance either. It was a freak.
Vydra should absolutely been bombing into the back post for that, not hanging around on the edge of the 18 yard box
Vydra should have been storming into the box and by the time Anya was ready to cross he should have been somewhere between the penalty spot and the six yard line. In the end Anya had no choice other than to blast it low and hope for a corner or own goal.
Whatever You'd think they don't train for these situations and Vydra wasn't where he was meant to be ... but hey the fans know best.
Umm, except for actually in these last few months Vydra has looked slightly heavy and off the pace...
So he was waiting for the Charlton defenders to magically disappear so Anya's cut back would find him?
Not sure if I've said anywhere that Vydra should be on the goal line and I'm actually not suggesting he'd have tapped in that rebound. I'm just pointing out that this was lazy movement and I was expecting more from a player fresh off the bench, fighting for his place in the starting XI.
A poacher would probably have tried to get in front of the keeper but Vydra's not that type of player. Either way the tap in was never on as no one else was following up.
Anya makes two wrong choices. Firstly he looks up and sees Vydra hanging back to stay in space. But Anya decides not to pass it. Then he goes for the byline and tries to half square it when no-one's there. Sure, Vydra's movement looks lethargic but what he wants is the space. If he'd been further forward he wouldn't have had it. It's not all about running around at 100 m.p.h. just for the sake if it.
It looked worse with the naked eye... It was if he thought Anya would lose it. For me what highlighted it more is a few minutes before that Deeney went dribbling 10 yards in front of him and he did the same.. Walked behind him, as if he knew Deeney would lose it. He aculy done 2 or 3 players and laid it off sideways turned around and Vydra was standing stationary in the semi circle !
