[Albion] WHEN IS AN ASSIST NOT AN ASSIST?

[GJN1]

So, a few weeks ago Pervis Estupinan was awarded an assist for tapping the ball to Karou Mitoma miles out from goal and then watching as he beat the entire Wolves team to score a worldie.

Now, Adam Lallana’s genius dummy to set up Danny Welbeck’s goal on Saturday might not have involved him actually touching the ball but how does it not go down as an assist and, instead, that goes to Adingra whose cross wouldn't have reached the goalscorer if Lallana hadn't have done that?

It stinks, I tell you.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

It's a bit risky having Adam in your fantasy league side!

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Adingra and Lallana both assisted in a beautiful team goal. That’s all you need to know.

Ps Presumably you are talking about gambling though.

 

[GJN1]

Adingra and Lallana both assisted in a beautiful team goal. That’s all you need to know.

Ps Presumably you are talking about gambling though.

No, I never gamble, but I don't understand the logic of how assists are determined.
Please make it make sense.

 

[Stato]

When Joe Worley does it?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

No, I never gamble, but I don't understand the logic of how assists are determined.
Please make it make sense.

Sorry, I’m not the person to ask. I think it’s quite a new stat as I don’t ever remember caring about who exactly sets up a goal. I agree with you about Lallana btw. A wonderful assist although he couldn’t have dummied it but for Adingra’s assist to his assist. Can’t remember who assisted Adingra to assist Lallana to assist Welbeck though.

 

[GJN1]

Sorry, I’m not the person to ask. I think it’s quite a new stat as I don’t ever remember caring about who exactly sets up a goal. I agree with you about Lallana btw. A wonderful assist although he couldn’t have dummied it but for Adingra’s assist to his assist. Can’t remember who assisted Adingra to assist Lallana to assist Welbeck though.

Maybe we need a half-assist category too, or maybe a 5/8ths assist?

 

[Badger Boy]

Personally, I'm all for the Lamptey "assists" but I'm not 100% either of them is a deliberate pass as much as putting the ball into an area and others taking over.

 

[Eddie Bee]

The trouble with allowing that as a Lallana assist, you could also say Fati's run that took defenders away from Pedro for his goal was an assist so where would it stop.

 

[GJN1]

The trouble with allowing that as a Lallana assist, you could also say Fati's run that took defenders away from Pedro for his goal was an assist so where would it stop.

Give him a 5/16ths assist.

 

[GJN1]

Sorry, I’m not the person to ask. I think it’s quite a new stat as I don’t ever remember caring about who exactly sets up a goal. I agree with you about Lallana btw. A wonderful assist although he couldn’t have dummied it but for Adingra’s assist to his assist. Can’t remember who assisted Adingra to assist Lallana to assist Welbeck though.

This is true. Nobody gave a toss until a few years ago.

 

[Ali_rrr]

This is true. Nobody gave a toss until a few years ago.

Players definitely give a toss. I'm pretty sure it came about due to negotiating bonuses and being recognised for your on field contribution, especially if you're a midfielder who doesn't score often.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Players definitely give a toss. I'm pretty sure it came about due to negotiating bonuses and being recognised for your on field contribution, especially if you're a midfielder who doesn't score often.

So Pervis is on for a decent bonus after than pass to Kaoru.

Assists are a stupid way of determining value. A winger can spend the 90 mins putting pinpoint balls onto the head of a hopeless striker and he won't be recognised if there's no goals scored.

Much better to use the evidence of your own eyes as a manager or fan to determine the contribution of a player rather than as something as arbitrary as an assist

 

[US Seagull]

The trouble with allowing that as a Lallana assist, you could also say Fati's run that took defenders away from Pedro for his goal was an assist so where would it stop.

Exactly this. You're opening a whole can of worms if you start awarding "assists" to players who didn't actually touch the ball. Assist is (AFAIK) defined as the last player to touch the ball before the goal scorer. This is an objective measure.

 

[US Seagull]

Sorry, I’m not the person to ask. I think it’s quite a new stat as I don’t ever remember caring about who exactly sets up a goal. I agree with you about Lallana btw. A wonderful assist although he couldn’t have dummied it but for Adingra’s assist to his assist. Can’t remember who assisted Adingra to assist Lallana to assist Welbeck though.

The first time I ever heard of an "assist" being a thing was in the very first episode of Baddiel and Skinner's Fantasy Football League show where they introduced it as one way to earn points in fantasy football. That was in January 1994. And that was the first time I, personally, heard of it. It had been around before that. They didn't invent it.

So, just 30+ years then.

 

[chaileyjem]

Personally, I'm all for the Lamptey "assists" but I'm not 100% either of them is a deliberate pass as much as putting the ball into an area and others taking over.

As others have argued its not quite certain what he was planning for the Gross goal. (playing into space ? A mis timed pass to Lallana ? ) but for the 3rd - he'd scampered half way down the pitch, looked up and delivered it perfectly for JPedro to finish. A textbook assist.

 

[beorhthelm]

No, I never gamble, but I don't understand the logic of how assists are determined.
Please make it make sense.

assists are determined by passing the ball. not "getting out of the way", however good it looks in retrospect.

 

[Ali_rrr]

So Pervis is on for a decent bonus after than pass to Kaoru.

Assists are a stupid way of determining value. A winger can spend the 90 mins putting pinpoint balls onto the head of a hopeless striker and he won't be recognised if there's no goals scored.

Much better to use the evidence of your own eyes as a manager or fan to determine the contribution of a player rather than as something as arbitrary as an assist

I don't disagree. However, it wouldn't surprise me if Groß has something in his contract about the amount of chances he creates. He'll want to be recognised for it.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Ice hockey's policy is that there can be up to TWO players credited with an assist, and I believe our first Albion goal is an example of why it is necessary in the Premier League.

Lallana has to get an assist because the cross was played to him, he chose to dummy the ball which gave Welbeck a far easier chance.

You already have analysts monitoring xG, which in my opinion is even more subjective and ambiguous than assists. VAR is not an exact science either. I'm also mindful that in baseball they have analysts monitoring every fielding play to determine what is a hit, what is an error or - sometimes - a combination of both.

If you had multiple assists then that would bring a lot more defenders into play, i.e. Dunk plays a 50-yard ball inside the full-back for Estupinan to run onto, he crosses for Ferguson who scores then - arguably - Dunk's ball was at least equal in skill to the other two involvements and deserves recognition.

 

[Bakero]

The first time I ever heard of an "assist" being a thing was in the very first episode of Baddiel and Skinner's Fantasy Football League show where they introduced it as one way to earn points in fantasy football. That was in January 1994. And that was the first time I, personally, heard of it. It had been around before that. They didn't invent it.

So, just 30+ years then.

I'm not sure when it came into common parlance in football but as a kid in the 90s we'd always talking of "setting up" goals, not assisting. I reckon fantasy football (the show and the games") brought it into the lexicon.

Fairly, sure it's been used for decades in basketball though. John Stockton was King of the Assist long before Mesut Ozil.