If you were previously unaware, this season The Terrace Podcast has been calculating its own assists table for the players in the Scottish Premiership. We are doing this for two reasons: one, we doubt the accuracy of the current tables on offer; and two, we believe assists to be a fundamentally flawed statistic. It is supposed to represent how creative a player is, but in order for the player in question to get a tally mark beside their name they are relying on someone else to do their job. Is it the fault of the facilitator if he offers chance after chance on a plate that teammates keep refusing to take?
In our ‘True Assist’ table we take into account the chances created and rank them in two categories: where the forward could score and where the forward should score. Then we set in place a points system and view the highlights of every top flight match in order to rank the players.
There’s not been a whole lot of movement in the top 20. If the previous few weeks are anything to go by it will be highly unlikely that Johnny Hayes makes a run back to the top. The closest challengers to Iain Vigurs will come from another of the chasing pack, though both Stevie May and Ryan Gauld (who was given a one game break) didn’t score in the last fortnight, which allowed a new contender to sneak into the top three. Further back there’s a couple that have entered for the first time, including a Hearts player who you might be surprised to see that high up.
Before we get to the table let us just quickly remind you of the scoring system and the meanings of the abbreviations you’ll need to understand the league table:
Chance Created – Could Have Scored (CS) = 0.75pts
Goal Created – Striker Dispatches Tricky or ‘Half Chance Assist’ (HCA) = 0.75pts
Chance Created – Should Have Scored (SS) = 1pt
Goal Created – Striker Couldn’t Miss Assist (CMA) = 1pt
True Assist Table
1. I Vigurs (M’well) – 13 CS; 2 HCA; 3 CMA = 14.25 pts
2. J Hayes (Aberdeen) – 11 CS; 2 HCA; 2 SS; 1 CMA = 12.75 pts
3. D Wotherspoon (Saints) – 10 CS; 2 HCA; 1 SS; 1 CMA = 11 pts
4. R Gauld (Dundee Utd) – 2 CS; 2 HCA; 2 SS; 5 CMA – 10 pts
T5. S May (Saints) – 3 CS; 2 HCA; 4 SS; 2 CMA = 9.75 pts
T5. K Commons (Celtic) – 8 CS; 1 HCA; 1 SS; 2 CMA = 9.75 pts
7. A Stokes (Celtic) – 6 CS; 1 HCA; 2 SS; 2 CMA = 9.25 pts
8. A Doran (Inverness) – 8 CS; 1 HCA; 2 CMA = 8.75 pts
T9. N McGinn (Aberdeen) – 5 CS; 1 HCA; 2 SS; 2 CMA = 8.5 pts
T9. E Izaguirre (Celtic) – 2 CS; 4 HCA; 1 SS; 3 CMA = 8.5 pts
11. M Gardyne (Killie) – 7 CS; 3 SS = 8.25 pts
T12. G Mackay-Steven (D Utd) – 5 CS; 3 HCA; 2 SS = 8 pts
T12. L Craig (Hibs) – 8 CS; 1 SS; 1 CMA = 8 pts
14. P McGowan (St Mirren) – 3CS; 2HCA; 2SS; 2CMA = 7.75 pts
15. G Carey (Ross County) – 5CS; 2HCA; 1SS; 1HCA = 7.25 pts
16. S O’Donnell (Thistle) – 4 CS; 4 SS = 7 pts
T17. S Armstrong (Dundee U) – 5 CS; 3 CMA = 6.75 pts
T17. K McHattie (Hearts) – 5 CS; 1 SS; 2 CMA = 6.75 pts
T19. N Hasselbaink (Saints) – 6 CS; 2 CMA = 6.5 pts
T19. C Newton (St Mirren) – 5 CS; 1 HCA; 1 SS 1 CMA = 6.5 pts
To listen to the latest podcast discussing Paul Hartley’s Alloa resignation, the arrival of Adam Rooney and Chris Iwelumo, the departure of Martyn Corrigan and Ross Jack, and an insanely ambitious ‘Punt of the Week’ then all you have to do is click here.
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