Yannick Bolasie

[BlueToff]

So? Baines got an "assist" for his missed penalty against Stoke because it rebounded off the post and back off Given.

Goals and assist stats tell us Osman has been better than Iniesta for the past 10 years.

Baines didn't get anything for that penalty, weirdly enough.

An assist is only actually counted as an assist when it is team-mate to team-mate, IIRC.

Del really provided about 12 goals last season I think, but a lot of his crosses took little deflections etc, so they don't count for him.

Which, like you said with the Osman example, is why you can't just judge them on that alone.

 

[MikeH72]

Which is exactly the point...

You said "chances created" isn't as valid a stat as assists though didn't you? Or was that just Dave being Dave?

 

[MikeH72]

Baines didn't get anything for that penalty, weirdly enough.

An assist is only actually counted as an assist when it is team-mate to team-mate, IIRC.

Del really provided about 12 goals last season I think, but a lot of his crosses took little deflections etc, so they don't count for him.

Which, like you said with the Osman example, is why you can't just judge them on that alone.

No it doesn't work like that mate. A shot saved/off the post rebounding to a striker to score, counts as an assist.

 

[Tubey]

Yes. Just as the one in the first half v. Sunderland when he put that cross to Lukaku was.

I'm just saying, there's no point just basing it on goals and assists when talking about 'end product'.

If a player is creating the chances, which Bolasie has so far for us, then he has end product.

Albeit, he was awful on Saturday and I think the cross to Valencia was the only decent one he got in all game.

We all knew he was inconsistent, but he's had a very good start. Probably just needs to simplify his game, which applies to pretty much all of our players tbh.

Gareth Barry has created five chances. Idrissa Gueye eight. Barkley thirteen (despite being apparently terrible). Bolasie ten. Meaning a defensive midfielder has created as many chances as a wide forward.

It doesn't mean anything; it's an issue with the stat at its' core.

 

[GerryandthePaceMerchants]

Stats are used by Livescore clappers to try and disagree with people who see things with their own eyes

 

[Tubey]

You said "chances created" isn't as valid a stat as assists though didn't you? Or was that just Dave being Dave?

I'm saying it's a flawed one that isn't a good measure of performance.

 

[micknick]

Yes, but that's the point - there's no difference in the stats between one on a plate and a hoof from defence.

But I saw it with my eyes.

 

[BlueToff]

No it doesn't work like that mate. A shot saved/off the post rebounding to a striker to score, counts as an assist.

Hmm, i'm really not sure mate - maybe if it hits the woodwork, but pretty sure if it's saved, it doesn't count, as it has come off an opposition player last. And I'm not talking Fantasy Footy here either - having worked closely with Opta I'm pretty sure this is the way they calculate it (and of course they provide the official stats mostly). It's stupid in a lot of ways, and academical to a point, as anyone watching would be able to gather that the player who took the initial shot created the chance.

Which is why I'm not going to judge Bolasie (or any other player) on that if I can see they are creating chances - which he has so far, and not just 'half-chances', either, but very good opportunities.

 

[MikeH72]

Stats are used by Livescore clappers to try and disagree with people who see things with their own eyes

@davek

 

[MikeH72]

A good example was when everyone was using stats to say Barkley has been playing well this season because he has 2 goals and an assist, when one of the goals was a free kick cross that went straight in and the other was a pony effort that slipped under a semi-pro goalkeeper.

 

[BlueToff]

Anyway, I've personally seen enough from Bolasie in his five games for us so far to think that he's going to be a good player for us. He's no more inconsistent than our other attacking players, and has a bit more to his game at the moment than any of the others.

He was poor the other day and incredibly frustrating to watch, but still created something out of nothing - which is most likely the reason he was kept on the field of play. He has that ability even when playing badly, as does Barkley, for that matter.

I would like to see him switched to the left though. My one 'gripe' with RK so far would be playing Kev left and Bolasie right. It's too predictable IMO.

 

[ryanbeno80]

I think those who have watched with there own eyes will agree the chances Bolasie has created have in deed been very good chances and he probably deserves around 5 assists..

 

[Carlito]

I don't know why Bolasie's performance has been such a talking point. Everyone knew when he came here that he's a one in four player, and that you just have to take the rough with the smooth.

 

[GerryandthePaceMerchants]

Barkley got an assist for playing a ball into the Channel for Lukaku to pick up, skin half of the chelsea team and score in the cup last year.

You'd get one for moving the ball 6" for someone to score a 40yard screamer. It's a nonesense.

 

[BlueToff]

A good example was when everyone was using stats to say Barkley has been playing well this season because he has 2 goals and an assist when one goal was a free kick cross that went straight in.

Yet, as @Tubey points out, he's created 13 chances...

Up until the first half vs Sunderland, his performances overall were good. Not magnificent, but he was looking sharp.

Boro he did everything right and kept it simple. Last two games he's stagnated again.

Hopefully, the same doesn't happen with Bolasie and he's on form again come Friday (he'll certainly be up for it, let's just hope he doesn't try too hard in a way (i.e. over-zealous))