He struggled in 96/97 along with plenty of others in defence. I think they all missed Pearson's leadership for a start and he spent a lot of that season injured.
They also struggled with the change to a four at the back. Vickers had excelled in the sweeper role in the "Christmas tree formation" hence player of the year. He looked a different player in a back 4. Same as Whyte, Cox and Morris.
The keepers also went from decent to shambolic (God knows what Miller and Walsh had got up to over the summer) which doesn't help your defenders.
A good player for us if you take his career as a whole. But he was definitely a target for the boo boys at times because he did struggle that season