Setting up goal scoring opportunities can be a thankless task at times. If the ball ends up in the back of the net, it’s the scorer who makes the headlines and grabs all the glory, more often than not. If the chance goes begging, on the other hand, your good work and moment of creative inspiration can quickly slip from memory.
Clearly, it helps playing with a top-class finisher. In a recent interview, Dennis Bergkamp reflected on his time at Arsenal with Thierry Henry, saying:
“The pleasure of scoring goals is known, but for me the pleasure of the assist came close. It's like solving a puzzle. I always had a picture in my head of how things would look two or three seconds later. I could calculate it. There's a tremendous pleasure in doing something that someone else couldn't see”.
That ability to split a defence with a precision pass, to open up a back-four with one deft touch, all those key passes can only be transformed into assists with the help of a capable finisher. Luckily for Bergkamp, he had the likes of Henry and Ian Wright to make the most of his genius.
This season, however, there have been others who have created chance after chance for their teams but have failed to pick up the assists their work has merited due to a poor end product from others. WhoScored takes a look at the five most frustrated creators so far across Europe’s main leagues and name those team mates who are failing to tuck away opportunities:
Marco Reus, 37 Key Passes.
The winger has been a phenomenon for Borussia MGladbach so far this season. WhoScored’s top-rated Bundesliga player with an average of 8.09, Reus’ form has caught the eye of plenty of the continent’s leading lights, with the likes of Arsenal rumoured to be considering a swoop. It’s little wonder- he’s had 3.8 shots per game over his twelve appearances and scored 7 of his side’s 15 league goals this season.
Creatively, he’s been almost as impressive for the fourth-placed side; Reus has averaged 3.1 key passes so far. A total of 37 key passes is the highest tally in the Bundesliga and the second best in Europe’s top five leagues yet incredibly, Reus has failed to pick up a single assist. Compare this to Angel Di Maria, Europe’s top for assists, with 10 to his name after ten appearances for Real Madrid. Di Maria has made just 23 key passes all season but playing alongside the likes of Ronaldo, Higuain and Benzema, his creativity has been rewarded.
There are two main culprits at MGladbach- Juan Arango and Mike Hanke. Left winger Arango has averaged 3.5 shots per game and scored just once to date. Given that he’s played twelve times, this works out at a return of 1 goal after 42 shots. Hanke has hardly covered himself in glory, either- the centre-forward has turned out eleven times for MGladbach and produced 2.2 shots at goal. That’s 24 shots so far and not once has he found the net.
Andrea Cossu, 29 Key Passes.
One win in their last eight games has seen Cagliari slip to tenth in Serie A after a promising start to the new campaign. They’ve scored just 9 goals this season, easily the least of any team in the top half, with only three sides finding the net less often. Only one player- Daniele Conti- has scored more than a single goal, an indication of the woeful finishing and Cossu, while failing to find the net with his 13 shots, must be wondering just what he has to do when it comes to picking up an assist.
Over his ten appearances, the playmaker has produced 2.9 key passes per game for a total of 29. This is the most of any player in Serie A, edging Milan pair Antonio Cassano (27) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (25) into second and third respectively. While Cassano has bagged 7 assists and Ibrahimovic 2, Cossu has been left cursing the standard of finishing at Cagliari.
Much of this is down to the front pair of Thiago Ribeiro and Nene. With Cossu stationed in the hole behind in Cagliari’s preferred 4-1-2-1-2, the duo has spurned chance after chance for their side. One is almost as culpable as the other. Both players have taken part in all ten games thus fat, with Ribeiro averaging 2.6 shots and Nene 2.2; a total, then, of 26 and 22 respectively. In spite of a multitude of attempts, they have each found the net only once, as their woeful shooting continues to hinder all the good work of Cossu beforehand. The return of Davide Ballardini as coach last week, following the sacking of Massimo Ficcadenti, may spark an upturn in fortunes ahead of next week’s showdown with Inter.
Christian Tiffert, 29 Key Passes.
Though Tiffert has played in five different positions for Kaiserslautern this season, his creativity has remained constant. Mainly stationed on the left wing in his side’s preferred 4-4-2, he has started all twelve games in what has been a fairly indifferent start to the new campaign.
Kaiserslautern sit twelfth in the Bundesliga, only three points off the relegation places, with just thirteen points on the board so far. Tiffert, their top-rated WhoScored player with 6.84 per game, has created chances aplenty without success. An average of 2.4 key passes per game is more than double the side’s second-best creator Konstantinos Fortounis, with 1.1 key passes per game an indication of just how reliant Kaiserslautern are on Tiffert. Over his twelve appearances, this translates to 29 key passes without a single assist in return.
Dorge Kouemaha has been the guiltiest party for Kaiserslautern- the forward is his side’s greatest goal threat by some distance, with 2.7 shots per game. Over his nine appearances, this is 24 shots- he has scored twice, an average of 1 goal per 12 attempts. Oliver Kirch has averaged 1.4 shots over his nine games and failed to score from a total of 13 attempts, while Fortounis has had 10 attempts and has also produced no goals.
Leighton Baines, 24 Key Passes
The Everton left-back is usually an integral part of his side’s attacking ploys. Baines’ crossing from open play, in addition to set-piece duties, has been a fundamental factor in the Toffees last few seasons and this term, despite his side sitting fourth bottom, has been no exception.
As is the tone of the article, it’s not been down to his failure to deliver. Baines has taken part in every one of Everton’s games to date and produced 2.4 key passes on average, a total of 24 for the season, yet has failed to pick up a single assist. On-loan Royston Drenthe, on the other hand, has produced only 7 key passes and picked up 3 assists.
Louis Saha has been one of the main culprits for David Moyes’ side- the Frenchman has played seven games and with an average of 3 shots, has produced 21 goal attempts, scoring only once. Leon Osman has been equally culpable- from ten appearances, the midfielder has average 2.1 shots and found the net on just one occasion. Tim Cahill, so often a source of goals for the Toffees has had 14 goal attempts, with 1.6 per game over nine appearances, and has yet to open his account for the season.
Stewart Downing, 23 Key Passes.
It’s been a disappointing start to his Liverpool career for the former Aston Villa man. Signed in the summer as part of Kenny Dalglish’s midfield overhaul, Downing is one of only four players to start every game for the Anfield outfit and with an average 2.1 key passes, is second only to fellow new boy Charlie Adam (2.2).
Downing has mainly been utilised on the left wing, his natural side, though has a tendency to swap flanks during games. Despite his total of 23 key passes, though, he has yet to pick up an assist for the sixth-placed club. Liverpool have been particularly frustrating at home, drawing their last three in a row, and although he’s provided that creative spark, his contribution has yet to be turned into goals.
Downing has also been one of the main culprits when it comes to finishing, too- he has averaged 2.5 shots, a total of 28 attempts, and has also failed to find the net. That’s the worst record of any Liverpool player this season. Luis Suarez, despite his 4 goals, has averaged 4.6 shots per game- a total of 51 efforts while strike partner Andy Carroll, with 2 goals from 28 shots. Dirk Kuyt can usually be relied upon to contribute a goal or two but has fallen flat so far- the Dutchman has averaged 1.8 shots over his nine appearances and has failed to score from a total of 16 attempts.
