THE INFINITECREATIVE: Top 10 Creators In World Futbol (Again...Right Now...Yes...This Second..)
THE METRIC
- total number of assists
- total number of chances created
- difficulty of opposition
- consistency in creation
- difficulty of play (EXAMPLE: a fullback with 5 assists and the same number of key passes as a forward with 5 assists would climb over the forward, due to the fullback's enhanced responsibility and deeper positioning
HONORABLE MENTIONS
RIYAD MAHREZ (Man City / Algeria)
Mahrez had a horrific night against Chelsea in the Premier League, being anonymous out on the right wing against Marcos Alonso. He created absolutely nothing, with a definitive creative stat of 0 key passes proving this evidently.
And, no matter how hot you were previously in the form metric, if you create nothing, you're going to drop in this list. And, thanks to a putrid performance and the fantastic outings by others, the Algerian winger drops out of the top 10 sadly.
I think this'll only be a short term phase, thanks to Alonso's and David Luiz's defensive prowess against him.
OVERALL:
7 ASSISTS TOTAL
-4 in the UCL
-2 in the Premier League
-1 for Algeria's African Cup of Nations Qualifying Campaign
LEROY SANE (Man City)
And, this list now reflects that: the last list featured three City players, Mahrez, Sane and Sterling in the top 10 alone. Now, only one City player remains in the top 10 of this list, such was the imperious defending from Chelsea and the waining powers of Guardiola's school of attacking midfield talent (thanks to his incredibly unhealthy non-rotation policy that hurt Benjamin Mendy, De Bruyne and now David Silva).
Leroy Sane just narrowly missed the spot against Chelsea, but was still anonymous, with only 18 total passes in 53 minutes, 39 touches and 1 blocked shot.
The young German wunderkind was forced into confusing, endless dribbling and too many touches on the ball in the box when he should've been making a final ball or taking a shot.
The defending by his international teammate, Antonio Rudiger was brilliant, as was Sarri's positioning of him on the inside right channel at RCB, which is where the main damage of his international colleague's runs are made. Sane would penetrate and make a move, then be forced wide or to an improbable angle where a blocked or partially deflected cross or off the ball lob was dispatched accordingly by Azpilicueta (who had an absolute monster of a match, with 13 out of 17 tackles completed!!! Most on Sane).
Leroy Sane, though, ever the instigator tried and pushed Chelsea with 2 chances created but couldn't find the final touch or an ideal moment, thanks to the pressurized and aggressive defense of Chelsea on the day. Everyone seemed to converge on Sane, Kante coming from behind, Azipilicueta from Sane's left, Rudiger to his right...it was a wonder the young man blitzed through some of it.
Guardiola had no choice but to remove him, as his left wing, left footed routine had been found out by Sarri's men. However, with only 1 assist in his last 3 matches and a low creative production rate over the last few weeks and in particular against the Blues, Sane must miss out on this list.
It was a toss-up between Sterling and Sane to make the list, and Sane barely missed out due to his lower assists total.
OVERALL:
6 ASSISTS TOTAL
-5 in the Premier League
-1 In the UCL
MARCO REUS (Dortmund / Germany)
A debut on this list for the Dortmund captain, symbol and talisman as he has been heating up, not only scoring and leading the lines and racking up the stats for his club, but creating goals. He has formed a fascinating partnership with Jadon Sancho and Paco Alcacer. Additionally, the brilliant and under-appreciated German stalwart has 12 goals in all competitions for Lucien Favre's men; add to that an impressive World Cup (Reus and Kimmich were the only Germans who did themselves any favors) and his continued persistence to stay away from the horror injuries that cost him a starting XI spot and a World Cup in 2014, a place in the starting XI for Euro 2016 and large chunks of his career and you've got a revitalized, rejuvenated and hardcore Marco Reus.
Fierce, mature, direct and almost too reliable.
OVERALL:
8 ASSISTS
-5 in the Bundesliga
-1 in the DFB Pokal
-1 in the UCL)
-1 for Germany (friendly vs Saudi Arabia)
Although starting in a forward position vs Liverpool, Fraser created 0 key passes and had a torrid time against Liverpool. He cut a frustrated figure, constantly being called for fouls or offsides.
What can we say?
None of the Bournemouth players did themselves any good in the 4-0 assault by the Merseybeaters led by a vicious Jurgen Klopp and a hat trick of goals from Salah. Fraser will stick around on this list, although expect his numbers to fade and fizzle as his teammates let him down in the final third and his club drop points, with the Scottish master having to use most of his energy tracking back, rather than putting in balls for Callum Wilson, Joshua King and Junior Stanislas to finish off.
OVERALL:
11 ASSISTS TOTAL
-7 in the Premier League
-1 in the CC Cup
-3 for Scotland in Nations League play
CHRISTIAN ERISKEN (Tottenham / Denmark)
In a listless 23 minute cameo against Leicester, Eriksen was more about getting rest and recuperation for the all-important Barcelona match on Tuesday, than bagging assists.
For one thing, Tottenham had already long ago secured The 3 points, with this being
Smart management from Pochettino.
Shitty for Eriksen's inclusion on this list.
OVERALL:
9 ASSISTS TOTAL
- 6 in the Premier League
- 1 In the UCL
- 1 In the CC Cup
- 1 for Denmark in an international match
10. STEVEN BERGHUIS (Feyenoord / Netherlands)
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| Berghuis has been a barely known commodity, yet some of the best futbol minds have longed for his talents. |
With 4 assists in his last 3 matches for the Dutch club Feyenoord, Berghuis has come out of almost nowhere. The ever-creative player has had a stop-start career so far, turning 27 on December 19th and yet hasn't moved out of the Netherlands to a big club, hasn't set the national team on fire (barring a 3 assist match vs Romania a year ago) and has failed to deliver on the ultimate potential he was rumored to have. When you watch Berghuis at his best, such as against Emmen this weekend, he's an absolutely spellbinding talent. It becomes a huge question as to why a player of this quality could ever be stuck in the shadows of the Dutch league? It must be a mental thing, an emotional problem or something of that nature..... Everyone from Pep Guardiola to Jurgen Klopp has dug this player, yet he hasn't made a move.
Will that change in a year's time?
Will we see Berghuis at a big club? I feel he's a player that will only ever dominate the Dutch leagues and then have an outside chance at starring for the Netherlands in Euro 2020; if he's on his best form, he's a shoe-in to start for the Dutch in any tournament.
But will he be there?
And will this be the last time Berghuis makes this list?
Once again, every effort must be made to remind everyone how bizarre this player is and has always been.
His ceiling is high, eternally so... but can he reach that tall?
A complete enigma, but an entertaining one at that.
CRAZY IN DEPTH STAT:
In 1,328 minutes in the Eredivisie, Steven Berghuis averages 3.7 key passes a match and 56 overall.
OVERALL:
10 ASSISTS TOTAL
-8 in the Eredivisie
-1 in the KNVB Cup
-1 vs Italy for the Netherlands
9. RAHEEM STERLING (Man City)
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| After enduring racism from the Chelsea fans, Raheem Sterling showed class and maturity in his defiance. |
With 0 assists in his last 3 matches, Raheem Sterling has been slipping in this list by the appearance. With 4 key passes, 2 in his last 2 matches, Raheem Sterling has still continued to create, yet has been lacking in his final ball, especially in the bright lights and racist cat-calls of Stamford Bridge.
I can guarantee Sterling will continue to stick around in the top 10 of this list, yet we get the feeling (from actually watching the matches, which it seems a lot of Bleacher Report contributors do not do) that Sterling was unlucky and, thanks to a bout of racist disease in London,
We give Raheem a pass, but there are no more free passes on this list.
OVERALL:
7 ASSISTS TOTAL
-6 in the Premier League
-1 in the CC Cup
42 Key passes overall
2 Key Passes in Nations League play for England
8. FLORIAN NEUHAUS
(Borrusia Monchengladbach)
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| Raffael and Florian Neuhaus celebrate their goal together, the opener in a 3-0 victory over Stuttgart. |
In a meager 7 minutes from coming on as a substitute, Neuhaus was played in by Hazard with a deflected pass that Neuhaus collected on the top left corner of the box and then lifted a perfect cross to the penalty spot. The forward Raffael rose to meet it and headed the delicate cross with authority into the net for a 1-0 lead.
Then, only 9 minutes later, Thorgan Hazard set up Neuhaus who duly obliged:
Neuhaus was on the periphery of the list in the last installment, though with his match-changing antics and creativity being at the fore, he rises to the top 10. He has proven our inclusion and notice of him as wholly justifiable.
The 21 year old is truly on a streak here, with 7 assists in his last 11 matches and now 2 goals, Neuhaus is one of the most promising and productive midfielders in the Bundesliga, of any age.
OVERALL:
7 ASSISTS (all in Bundesliga)
*earned a penalty (that Hazard scored) in the DFB Pokal earlier this season as well
7. DUSAN TADIC (Ajax / Serbia)
In possibly the Serbian's greatest season since he left Southampton, the self-anointed "Assist King" has been just that, destroying the Dutch league defenses (like he should be with his quality) and even roasting Bayern Munich for an assist in the Champions League.
Even though his numbers are high and his brilliance lifted his new club Ajax into the Champions league (he had 3 assists in qualifiers and 3 goals), we simply have to factor in the weaker defenses of the Dutch league.
It's just the simple truth, although Tadic continues to show his qualities in all matches, against all tiers of opposition. People forget that this a man who destroyed Manchester City with a hat trick of assists in the Premier League and then did it again with 4 assists vs Sunderland. This is a guy who joined extremely rare company in the list of players who've had a duo of 3+ assist matches in the Premier League: people like Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs...only to mention a few among the small, tiny list of players who've achieved the feat.
Tadic must be taken seriously, as he showed with his prowess in the World Cup with Serbia, too.
But should the defenses in the Netherlands be taken that seriously? No, we think not.
However, we must tip the hat to Tadic's 1 goal and 2 assist weekend match against PEC Zwolle, because after all, the metric takes overall stats, consistent creation, tough or easy competition and current form all into account. With all that said, Tadic deserves his place.
OVERALL:
11 ASSISTS TOTAL
10 assists for Ajax
-6 in the Dutch League
-3 in UCL qualifiers
-1 in UCL group stage
-1 for Serbia in Nations League play
6. SEBASTIAN HALLER (Frankfurt)
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| Haller looks pissed, doesn't he? |
| Haller, Jovic and Rebic were shut out as Frankfurt went down 1-0 to Hertha Berlin. Haller had 0 key passes, creating next to nothing despite winning various aerial duels and Frankfurt having a good share of the play. Their attack was still ghostly, transparent. Haller only stays on this list through the grace of his 10 total assists. |
10 ASSISTS TOTAL
-7 in the Bundesliga
-3 in the Europa League
The French World Cup winner has been in disgusting form as of late, scoring 3 goals and attaining 5 assists in his last 8 matches for Barcelona, scorching Real and Atletico Madrid for an assist and a goal and shining bright in the Champions League (when given the chance by Valverde).
He continued his ravaging form against cross-town rivals Espanyol in the derby match, a physical, bruising affair, yet one that Barcelona dominated from the off, with Dembele at the fore:
He sent Suarez through with a delicate through ball that cut the Espanyol back line into pieces and then scored an absolute golaso thanks to a Lionel Messi assist (that was....otherworldly to say the least, but we'll have more on that later....).
Dembele has displayed an all around world class ability, using a renewed demand for the ball at all times, a thirst and desire to take on opponents, a hunger in the press and tackle (2 out of 3 tackles completed for Dembele in the last match) and a Barcelona drilled combination play up the right wing with Nelson Semedo.
Ousmane has shown resilience, scoring goals and assisting against the current of bullshit going against him, or the insane decisions he sometimes makes. Anyone who questions the mentality of this young man isn't watching completely: Yes, there is much to question about the off the pitch antics of Ousmane Dembele and we still don't know his personality...the man is quite a mystery. Though, as we see the Cheshire cat grin more and more as he scores humongous goals for Barcelona and distributes unruly assists to Messi and Suarez's eternal delight, he will only continue to endure the chaos of the media, as long as he maintains a professional level that can't be questioned.
Who knows how many amazing assists and goals lay on the horizon for Dembele to achieve at Barcelona, who knows how many trophies he'll win with Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Pique, Alba etc. But with news today that he was a shocking 2 HOURS late to training this morning, yet again, his future lay in the balance of his ever-swinging emotional turbulence.
Sure, the media have laid into this kid with savagery...and without a doubt in my mind we know that Barcelona leaked details to the media intentionally to embarrass and tame Ousmane... and through it all, I've been 100% on Dembele's side... I still will be, but....if this news is true, Dembele needs to re-think what he's doing off of the pitch or it will never matter what he does on it: the skills, the fascinating final balls, the clever and vicious finishing touch that nobody saw coming...all will fade extremely quick if he's doing this off of the pitch.
OVERALL:
5 ASSISTS TOTAL
-3 in La Liga
-1 In UCL
-1 In Copa Del Rey
4. THORGAN HAZARD (Borussia Monchengladbach / Belgium)
Thorgan Hazard was #10 on our last list and now soars to #4 with a spectacular showing against Stuttgart, with 7 key passes, 48 passes completed in total, 1 shot on target, 2 dribbles won out of 4 attempts, 4 aerials won and another Bundesliga assist to lead his team to victory.
Little Hazard was rampaging with speed and length up the left wing all match, creating Neuhaus's assist to Raffael with some slippery play on the edge of the box and then minutes later dished the ball to Neuhaus himself to score after Pavard and company had shut them out for 70 minutes.
Hazard's value for his club continues to rise, as does his profile, his yearly earnings, his potential future club, his standing within the Belgian squad and his movement from #10 to #4 on this list, thanks to superb current form, but also a full season (so far) of outrageous play from the younger brother of Eden (beginning to step out of that shadow, eh?).
OVERALL:
8 ASSISTS TOTAL
-6 In the Bundesliga
-1 In the DFB Pokal
-1 assist for Belgium (another key pass vs Scotland was hit off of the post by Vincent Kompany)
2.7 key passes a match (up from 2.1 last list)
47 Overall Chances Created for club and country (up from 40)
8th overall in Europe in chances created (up 1 spot over Cristiano Ronaldo)
3. MEMPHIS DEPAY (Lyon / Netherlands)
Lyon's match was postponed, as were many across France due to the violent protests against the fuel tax hikes. We can't drop Depay too far, but we can put a player who actually, ya know, played, ahead of him, just for this list....
2. EDEN HAZARD (Chelsea / Belgium)
......, since that player has shown such unreal ability all season and then mastered it against such a top class opponent (Manchester City) and did it while topping Memphis in the assists table (for league assists), joining Messi and Suso with 8, at the top of the heap.
Bigger Hazard pulled a curious, but smart cut back to the tip of the box for Kante to blast into the net, a gigantic goal right on the cusp of halftime that sent shock waves into the measured, but boring City. It's the same type of ball we've seen Hazard notch assists with for Belgium, a pass that begs to be blasted into the roof of the net it's so silky, smooth and on the floor.
Hazard has been definitive, showing his goalscoring attributes at the early stages of the season and now letting us marvel at his creative ways, reveling in 4 assists in his last 3 matches.
CRAZY IN DEPTH STAT:
Messi Messi Messi Messi...what can we say?
Embarrassing and emasculating them, just like Messi always does.
But the sequence involving the assist was mind-blowing: Messi heads a cross down to Vidal on the edge of the box, then falls down, but quickly receives it again and dishes it back to Vidal and as he moves to dribble again, he runs into two Espanyol defenders, falling to the ground again as they flail their legs, kicking at him and the ball, catching Messi's body and not the ball as he shields it with his thighs whilst on the ground, picking himself up and turning completely without a touch from the defenders, he then scurries it away to Vidal who, as quickly as he touches the ball back to Messi, is wiped out by a foul; The ball finds it way back to Messi who holds, waits for the run of Dembele and then spins it out wide.
Is Messi human? or are we dancer?
Is Messi a freak off of a leash?
Is Messi Jesus Christ back from the dead, crucifying other teams in the same manner he, himself was?
Did Messi die for our sins?
This is yet another goal for the Messi-Dembele partnership, with Suarez getting in on the act from a Dembele assist, as well. Messi and Dembele have now been involved in 4 goals together, with 3 of them being from Messi assisting Dembele and 1 in the last UCL match for Barcelona against PSV coming from Dembele to Messi.
We saw the flashes last year between Messi and Dembele and now we're seeing them come to fruition with goal after goal coming from the front three. Plus, with Suarez back, look for Messi to only continue notching assists, key passes, shots on target and goals, goals, goals.
The Greatest Player Of All Time has been called the #5 player in the world by the people who voted for the Ballon D'or (whoever the fuck they are) and has been emblazoned as a "one skill" player by of all people the great Pele.
I'm sorry Pele, but you're getting too old to think if you believe Messi is a one skill player.
He's better than you, my good sir.
And I'm so glad the world and you, Mr. Nasciemento, have pissed my Argentine friend off yet again, because when you do, all he does is go off and take his game, his club, his fans to even crazier heights.
OVERALL:
10 assists
8 in La Liga
1 in UCL
1 in Spanish Super Cup
CRAZY IN DEPTH STAT:
In 1,051 minutes and 13 appearances, Messi averages a European leading 3.4 key passes a match in La Liga. He has 55 chances created for Barcelona after his 5 chances created vs Espanyol.
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