Zan Vipotnik

[IsraJack]

But they should at least consider the things that you quite rightly mentioned in your first paragraph. We've seen it happen plenty of times over the years. A lot of people love to slag players off without any kind of consideration to mitigating factors.

Vipi was a young lad who had basically just been made redundant, moving to one of the toughest leagues in football under a coach who didn't have the first idea what to do with him. Is it all that surprising that it took him some time to find his feet?

Despite that there was clearly potential there. More potential than basically anyone expected, maybe even those who thought well of him last season, but it was there if you were willing to look.

Your last paragraph was spot on.

I’ll just add to that by comparing EG, who was “promoted” from league 1 to the championship, to most of the other players arriving from out of Britain, you can see the difference in the time it took to settle in. It is not only the game level itself (I think that Ronald was the only one who could play 90 straight away), it’s adjusting to a new country, the weather(oh, the weather), the culture, the food, the distance from the family..even to the fact that
around Christmas and new years, when many other leagues are on their winter break, in England you play double the games. It is not something that describes the championship specifically, you can find many examples even in the premier league.

The bottom line ( and the lesson ) is that patient is needed when it comes to foreign players. They might blossom immediately but if not, we need to breath deep and wait.

 

[Colin-swansea]

Can Vitopnik and Cullen be classed as both players who 'come alive in the box' but outside the area bring very little in the physical aspects of the game as far as preventing their opponent winning duals or the ability to move the opposition around to create gaps.

Vipotnik has improved this season from being an easily marked, statuesc striker and improved his ability to come off his opponent and sweep the ball out to his wide teammates but for his size he still fails to win aerial duals.

His lack of mobility and pace will certainly put off suitors from the Premier League and for the club to make the decision to sell him can only be judged with whoever his replacement will be.

He has had a remarkable vein of success in finding the net this season in comparison to the previous one while his allround improvement over 90 minutes off the ball is minimal.

 

[IsraJack]

Scoring 20 goals in a championship (plus some more including international ones) is enough proof of his ability. I do agree that he fits more to top leagues in italy, Spain or France than the premier league But then again, you can never know

 

[magicdaps10]

Vipotnik is not the most mobile, he likes to play the ball first time or very quickly when the ball is played into him rather than holding the ball up.
He's a very rare type of striker but you can't not ignore the shot he has on him.

I think that one thing us fans have learned as we are buying a number in the last few seasons, young foreign players need time to adjust and adapt to their new surroundings and league.
Maybe OTJ was right on Radio Wales when he said we may need to look at a few more British players this summer to create a better balance for next season.

 

[bakajack]

Can Vitopnik and Cullen be classed as both players who 'come alive in the box' but outside the area bring very little in the physical aspects of the game as far as preventing their opponent winning duals or the ability to move the opposition around to create gaps.

Vipotnik has improved this season from being an easily marked, statuesc striker and improved his ability to come off his opponent and sweep the ball out to his wide teammates but for his size he still fails to win aerial duals.

His lack of mobility and pace will certainly put off suitors from the Premier League and for the club to make the decision to sell him can only be judged with whoever his replacement will be.

He has had a remarkable vein of success in finding the net this season in comparison to the previous one while his allround improvement over 90 minutes off the ball is minimal.

Vipotnik has improved on your first paragraph immensely as the season has worn on. His ability to drop deep and play first time passes out wide is becoming an increasingly valuable feature of his game outside of his ability to score worldies.

 

[sit_down_jack]

Can Vitopnik and Cullen be classed as both players who 'come alive in the box' but outside the area bring very little in the physical aspects of the game as far as preventing their opponent winning duals or the ability to move the opposition around to create gaps.

Vipotnik has improved this season from being an easily marked, statuesc striker and improved his ability to come off his opponent and sweep the ball out to his wide teammates but for his size he still fails to win aerial duals.

His lack of mobility and pace will certainly put off suitors from the Premier League and for the club to make the decision to sell him can only be judged with whoever his replacement will be.

He has had a remarkable vein of success in finding the net this season in comparison to the previous one while his allround improvement over 90 minutes off the ball is minimal.

He was never really going to improve much off the ball in my opinion. His physical attributes mean he’ll never be a good presser but what he has improved at is creating chances. Got the same amount of big chances created as McBurnie but is on 5 less assists. That’s just unlucky and perhaps a lack of clinical edge from the rest of the squad.

As an all round player he has improved hugely in a single season and has a lot more room for growth.

 

[Dr. Winston]

Vipotnik has improved on your first paragraph immensely as the season has worn on. His ability to drop deep and play first time passes out wide is becoming an increasingly valuable feature of his game outside of his ability to score worldies.

Definitely. His one touch layoffs to a player in space have become a notable aspect of his play as the season has progressed.

Idah is better at the physical hold up play, which is good because they can complement each other. Shame we didn't get to see more of it and probably won't next season.

 

[Smurph]

Zan is never going to be a Thierry Henry type of player, he's more in the mold of a Shearer, Diego Costa type.

Not for one minute are I suggesting he's in the class of those players I have just mentioned.

The lad does have age on his side and can potentially go on to get better and better, especially with more potent players around him.

 

[SwanseaBoy123]

Can Vitopnik and Cullen be classed as both players who 'come alive in the box' but outside the area bring very little in the physical aspects of the game as far as preventing their opponent winning duals or the ability to move the opposition around to create gaps.

Vipotnik has improved this season from being an easily marked, statuesc striker and improved his ability to come off his opponent and sweep the ball out to his wide teammates but for his size he still fails to win aerial duals.

His lack of mobility and pace will certainly put off suitors from the Premier League and for the club to make the decision to sell him can only be judged with whoever his replacement will be.

He has had a remarkable vein of success in finding the net this season in comparison to the previous one while his allround improvement over 90 minutes off the ball is minimal.

Vipotnik is better outside the box then in.

His hold up and link up play is excellent and he has a ridiculous shot which he can hit from basically anywhere on the pitch.

But inside the box he leaves alot to be desired, his movement is pretty poor and he takes too long to set himself to get shots off which in the championship you just dont get the time.

He's a better finisher when everything is instinctive and he either can't take more then two touched or hits it first time. I think if you look at every goal he's scored in 2026 almost everything has been a first touch finish.

 

[Smurph]

Vipotnik is better outside the box then in.

His hold up and link up play is excellent and he has a ridiculous shot which he can hit from basically anywhere on the pitch.

But inside the box he leaves alot to be desired, his movement is pretty poor and he takes too long to set himself to get shots off which in the championship you just dont get the time.

He's a better finisher when everything is instinctive and he either can't take more then two touched or hits it first time. I think if you look at every goal he's scored in 2026 almost everything has been a first touch finish.

He's scored 20 odd goals in the championship which is more than any other player.

Not bad for a player who is shit inside the box.

 

[malc]

He's scored 20 odd goals in the championship which is more than any other player.

Not bad for a player who is shit inside the box.

In my opinion i don't agree .
Vp scores all types of goals , check his headers from corners .
Scores tap ins , plays between the posts unlke lots of strikers .
Good at picking up pieces .

 

[Smurph]

In my opinion i don't agree .
Vp scores all types of goals , check his headers from corners .
Scores tap ins , plays between the posts unlke lots of strikers .
Good at picking up pieces .

I feel the same as you Malc, my post was a tongue in cheek reference to the previous post.

For someone to say he's crap in the box and takes too long to get his shots away is a bit dull, all things considered.

He's reminds me of a more traditional striker from a bygone era.

 

[Swans Jack]

The question remains, if you had to force me to say which player would you sell in the summer. Galbraith or VP? I'm honestly not sure. Or will we hold our nerve and not sell? It was clever one from the club on all areas to get him on a new contact. Whatever the outcome.

 

[Dr. Winston]

Just to put it in perspective, no player managed 20 Championship goals last season. Only two even got close, and they played for teams that eventually got promoted.

Vipi's achievement in doing so for a team that's not really hit any kind of consistent form, and with only three penalties in that total is really something.

 

[Smurph]

The question remains, if you had to force me to say which player would you sell in the summer. Galbraith or VP? I'm honestly not sure. Or will we hold our nerve and not sell? It was clever one from the club on all areas to get him on a new contact. Whatever the outcome.

If I had to choose one or the other, I would probably go Galbraith.

Goal scorers are worth their weight in gold at any level.