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.
We’ve updated the table after only one week (we usually wait two) as we begin to make a concerted effort to post it with greater regularity as the season comes to a close. Naturally, there wasn’t a great amount of movement but thanks to the absolute thrillers at Tannadice and Fir Park there were a number of players boosting their numbers including a new entry into the top four.
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; 3 SS; 1 CMA = 13.75 pts
3. D Wotherspoon (Saints) – 10 CS; 2 HCA; 1 SS; 1 CMA = 11 pts
4. G Mackay-Steven (D Utd) – 8 CS; 4 HCA; 2 SS = 11 pts
5. K Commons (Celtic) – 9 CS; 1 HCA; 1 SS; 2 CMA = 10.5 pts
T6. R Gauld (Dundee Utd) – 2 CS; 2 HCA; 2 SS; 5 CMA = 10 pts
T6. A Stokes (Celtic) – 7 CS; 1 HCA; 2 SS; 2 CMA = 10 pts
8. S May (Saints) – 3 CS; 2 HCA; 4 SS; 2 CMA = 9.75 pts
9. C Newton (St Mirren) – 7 CS; 1 HCA; 1 SS 2 CMA = 9 pts
10. A Doran (Inverness) – 8 CS; 1 HCA; 2 CMA = 8.75 pts
T11. N McGinn (Aberdeen) – 5 CS; 1 HCA; 2 SS; 2 CMA = 8.5 pts
T11. E Izaguirre (Celtic) – 2 CS; 4 HCA; 1 SS; 3 CMA = 8.5 pts
T13. L Ainsworth (‘Well) – 5 CS; 2 HCA; 1 SS; 2 CMA = 8.25 pts
T13. M Gardyne (Killie) – 7 CS; 3 SS = 8.25 pts
T15. G Carey (Ross County) – 6CS; 2HCA; 1SS; 1HCA = 8 pts
T15. L Craig (Hibs) – 8 CS; 1 SS; 1 CMA = 8 pts
17. P McGowan (St Mirren) – 3CS; 2HCA; 2SS; 2CMA = 7.75 pts
18. R McKenzie (Killie) – 4 CS; 2 HCA; 3 SS = 7.5 pts
19. R Brittain (County) – 5 CS; 2 HCA; 1 SS; 1 CMA = 7.25 pts
T20. S O’Donnell (Thistle) – 4 CS; 4 SS = 7 pts
T20. C Mulgrew (Celtic) – 3 CS; 1 HCA; 1 SS; 3 CMA = 7 pts
T20. G Wylde (St Mirren) – 3 CS; 1 HCA; 4 SS = 7 pts
T23. S Armstrong (Dundee U) – 5 CS; 3 CMA = 6.75 pts
T23. J Forrest (Celtic) – 4 CS; 1 HCA; 2 SS; 1 CMA = 6.75 pts
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