Should a dummy count as an assist?

[calodo2003]

Should Bruno’s dummy also count as an assist?



Rashford does the massive work here for the goal & deserves the assist, but should Bruno also get one?

It would be a little like how hockey determines assists which more rightfully awards key build ups in a scoring play. This goal probably wouldn't have occurred without Bruno’s dummy.

Also, I love the reaction of the steward at the twelve second mark!

 

[dove]

No.

 

[roonster09]

No. There are many scenarios where players who creates the goal scoring situation doesn't get any assist.

 

[Statue of Limitations]

It is the same value as a dummy run, pulliing a defender away to make space of for the killer pass or shot.
Highly valuable but as a stat, no.

Bruno's was a thing of beauty!

 

[balaks]

No

 

[Reynoldo]

Only in fantasy football

 

[shaky]

Assists are a stupid stat anyway. Can range from a genius, no look through ball to a random hoof upfield by the keeper. Don't know why anyone even keeps track of them really.

 

[RUCK4444]

Yeah, why not?

It’s a premeditated decision to dummy the ball, affecting the defenders, intentionally letting it run to a teammate.

To me just because Bruno does flick it on to Greenwood makes no difference. In fact it does make a difference because it wouldn’t fool the defenders like it does.

To me, knowing the teammate is there and intentionally playing for it to roll onto them is the same as an assist in its intention.

 

[Ibi Dreams]

Assists are a stupid stat anyway. Can range from a genius, no look through ball to a random hoof upfield by the keeper. Don't know why anyone even keeps track of them really.

It is a pretty stupid stat because the actual quality is so variable, but still if a player is racking them up you know they're doing something right

 

[tenpoless]

He farted on the ball so it was an assist.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

No

 

[Swedish_Plumber]

What about a great cross that results in the defender having no other option but to score an own goal?

 

[Andycoleno9]

No. But they should introduce pre assist in stats. Modric is prime example how stats don't tell the truth sometimes. Mc gives the ball to winger, he passes to attacker who scores. Mc gets nothing

 

[Robbie Boy]

Nope.

 

[Tarrou]

Assists are a stupid stat anyway. Can range from a genius, no look through ball to a random hoof upfield by the keeper. Don't know why anyone even keeps track of them really.

You can say the same about pretty much every stat

People keep track because they are by far the best indicator for who creates the most goals

Unless you think Giggs has the most assists in the PL from random hoofs up field?

 

[Oranges038]

Should add an assist assist stat just for this.

Then players can be judged on their assist assists. In time we can introduce assist assist assists and so on and so forth.

Will give a great understanding in stats as to how important potential signings are in the build up play for their current teams.

 

[Yagami]

I think so, yes.

 

[shaky]

You can say the same about pretty much every stat

People keep track because they are by far the best indicator for who creates the most goals

Unless you think Giggs has the most assists in the PL from random hoofs up field?

I bet you love your xG too.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Rashford still deserved to have that assist by emerging decisive pass with perfect timing, speed and trajectory.

Bruno is still an effin genius though with Ronaldinho type of imagination, despite no contact with the ball.

 

[AnotherLondonManc]

You can say the same about pretty much every stat

People keep track because they are by far the best indicator for who creates the most goals

Unless you think Giggs has the most assists in the PL from random hoofs up field?

Agreed, assists are a valuable stat but nowhere near as valuable as 'chances created'. When you look at assists you're only looking at half of the picture. For there to be an assist, someone has to score.

So you could get an assisit for a sideways pass in the centre circle if the recipient then dribbles past 8 players and scores a wonder goal, but not get one for a sumptuous cross or flick that a striker inexplicably misses. I remember when Jorginho signed for Chelsea, he had no assists in his first season but there was a 10 min long highlight reel of all the chances he created being missed. Chances created (while of no value in fantasy football), is a much more valuable stat. It more accurately reflects a player's contribution to the team.

I would say that that passage of play would count as a chance created for both Rashy and Bruno. Rashy for picking out Bruno in the box, and Bruno for fashioning the chance to Mason

 

[wolvored]

Assists are a stupid stat anyway. Can range from a genius, no look through ball to a random hoof upfield by the keeper. Don't know why anyone even keeps track of them really.

Yankee idea that Sky brought here I think and it caught on. You could dribble the ball from your own half beat 4 players pass it 50 yards across field straight onto a teammates foot, he stumbles the ball rolls to another teammate who hammers it home. The stumbler gets the assist you get no credit officially.

 

[Tom Cato]

It would be a little like how hockey determines assists which more rightfully awards key build ups in a scoring play. This goal probably wouldn't have occurred without Bruno’s dummy.

Also, I love the reaction of the steward at the twelve second mark!

Hockey rewards first and secondary assits. It only rewards you with an assist if you actually touched the puck, not if you had great positioning beforehand.

The commenters will certainly give you a "moral assist" during goal celebration, but your A stat will still say '0' at the end.

On that note: That stepover was absolutely beautiful and was a large part of the goal

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Only for Bruno just to add to the salt in opposition fan bases.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

So Bruno eventually got an assist without touching the ball. Second time lucky.

 

[stw2022]

I think assists in general are among the least relevant stats that somehow is held as the most important. Often in the lead up to a goal there’s a key pass or a dribble that contributes far more to the move than the guy who happened to last touch the ball before the guy who scored took possession.

A player could literally have the worst game of his life, go down injured, have the ball bounce off his arse and into path of team mate who takes on 4 defenders single handed and score a wonder goal and stat boys would use that assist forevermore to argue the player laying in a heap on the floor had a good match because the stats reflected he got an assist.

A simple, unremarkable pass that’s turned into something by the genius of a team mate reflects well on him not you. There are of course many examples where credit for an assist is due but many where it isn’t and certainly not to justify the stat being a blanket standard bearer for a players performance

 

[Bebestation]

Didn’t vdb’s dummy count as an assist?

 

[Tarrou]

I think assists in general are among the least relevant stats that somehow is held as the most important. Often in the lead up to a goal there’s a key pass or a dribble that contributes far more to the move than the guy who happened to last touch the ball before the guy who scored took possession.

A player could literally have the worst game of his life, go down injured, have the ball bounce off his arse and into path of team mate who takes on 4 defenders single handed and score a wonder goal and stat boys would use that assist forevermore to argue the player laying in a heap on the floor had a good match because the stats reflected he got an assist.

A simple, unremarkable pass that’s turned into something by the genius of a team mate reflects well on him not you. There are of course many examples where credit for an assist is due but many where it isn’t and certainly not to justify the stat being a blanket standard bearer for a players performance

but you can say the exact same thing for goals

which is why you need a healthy sample size to judge a player

 

[The Urban Goose]

Yes. In such scenarios, if not for the dummy there is no goal scoring opportunity.

 

[Jeppers7]

They should for me, if it is intended and actually creates the chance. Of course stats won’t measure that and I think assist stats are largely irrelevant. You have to take them on an individual basis.

 

[Adam-Utd]

He was still creating an attacking motion, he distracted the defenders by attempting to play the ball. Just because he missed contact by 2cm doesn't mean it didn't effect the outcome of the attack.

it's a bit of a vague area as dummies don't happen often enough to be really taken seriously, but at the same time they can be just as effective as a flick or a back heel.

I'd say if it's an intentional action like with VDB's where you are pretending to shoot and then let it go on purpose for a team mate to have an easier chance, of course it should count.

 

[James Peril]

An assist is for the player that touched the ball before the goalscorer, so obviously a dummy isn’t an assist - this is a daft discussion. A very good decoy run is just the same as a dummy, you drag the opposition player away from where the ball ends. Nobody is saying a two metre square pass is more important than a beautiful dummy a la Messi 2009, but it is still not an assist and never will be. I also take offense from those saying assists are a stupid measurement, it really isn’t. Back in the day I was a winger and racked up assists with the same joy as scoring, it was the Beckham-era of course, he made assists the new goal. A professional player does not deliver 15-20 assists in a year by being lucky, especially not if it’s regular patters of play involved. Let’s also not forget that certain players could have way higher numbers if their striker slotted in more often.. some beautiful assists count for nothing if a striker misses a sitter.

 

[stevoc]

Assists are a stupid stat anyway. Can range from a genius, no look through ball to a random hoof upfield by the keeper. Don't know why anyone even keeps track of them really.

Same as a goal though, you can score a genius volley outside from the box or score a scruffy tap in that bounces off your arse. Both count as a goal.

 

[Robin]

Bruno will get the assist for last night even though he himself claimed he didn’t touch it. If he hadn’t ’ touched’ it Cavani would have been 2 yards offside. To me it shows the incompetence of the ref and Var operator, at the game I thought he might be pulled up for offside and when I saw it on motd you could clearly see he didn’t touch it.