Mo Salah

[Shaggy]

Expected assists (xA)

WHAT IS EXPECTED ASSISTS (XA)?

Expected assists (xA) measures the likelihood that a given pass will become a goal assist. It considers several factors including the type of pass, pass end-point and length of pass.

What Are Expected Assists?

Stats Perform’s expected assists (xA) model measures the likelihood that a given pass will become a goal assist. The model rewards players who pass into dangerous areas, regardless of whether the receiver takes a shot or not. xA is measured on a scale between zero and one, where zero represents a pass that will never result in an assist and one represents a pass that the receiver would be expected to score from every single time.

There are similar outputs that value a player’s chance creation by taking the xG value from their key passes, but these do not isolate the contribution of the creator. The xG from key passes method is reliant on the receiver taking a shot and don’t account for what the receiver does between receiving the pass and taking the shot. Using xG from key passes does not represent the value of all passes nor does it represent the value that the pass initially provided. Expected assists, on the other hand, does both.

An expected assist value is assigned for every completed pass in Stats Perform’s detailed event data given that every completed pass can indeed become an assist (as teammates of Lionel Messi know only too well). Adding up a player or team’s expected assists gives us an indication of how many assists they should have had, based on the quality of their successful passes.

[Kenneth]

So if the receiving player makes a **** run and doesn’t get on the end of a worldie through-ball, it doesn’t count as an expected assist?

[BobTheCharmer]

Continued his poor form when he came on, awful lazy underhit pass towards the end and that touch when getting on the end of diazs pass. By trying to get it on his left he blew the chance completely, just use your right foot.

[Buzzo]

A run of bad form that only exists in your mind. He did alright yesterday, nothing special in his 20 mins other than a couple of sublime touches and chances created.

He scored 2 and assisted v Man U. He played really well (they all did) and provided a crucial assist vs Villarreal as well as creating at least 2 good (one excellent) chance.

Can’t recall the Everton game…

He has not been as good as he was for the first 5 months when he carried us pretty much. But His output and numbers are still excellent.

Your point of an extended run of bad form is not grounded in any fact

[RedReet]

That pass to Diaz with one of his first touches was exquisite.

[Doc_Piptorious]

A run of bad form that only exists in your mind. He did alright yesterday, nothing special in his 20 mins other than a couple of sublime touches and chances created.

He scored 2 and assisted v Man U. He played really well (they all did) and provided a crucial assist vs Villarreal as well as creating at least 2 good (one excellent) chance.

Can’t recall the Everton game…

He has not been as good as he was for the first 5 months when he carried us pretty much. But His output and numbers are still excellent.

Your point of an extended run of bad form is not grounded in any fact

His form has been good rather than the spectacular that gets expected from him. Think he is on 2 goals and 3 assists from the past 6 games (including yesterday as one of the six). 5 goal involvements in 6 games is pretty good going.

The great thing is we now have other players chipping in with goals and assists more the past few months so Salah can afford to see his form drop from amazing to simply being good without the team suffering.

As you rightly say, he was on fire earlier on the season and carrying the bulk of our goal/assist threat almost on his own for a spell.

No bad thing for hm to have been able to play less minutes yesterday too as gave him a mini break.

[Fosterbloke]

Continued his poor form when he came on, awful lazy underhit pass towards the end and that touch when getting on the end of diazs pass. By trying to get it on his left he blew the chance completely, just use your right foot.

You don't like him, we get it.

[Alex]

So do people think Salah is not so much of a threat at the moment because he's off form? Or do you think Klopp has tweaked things so not everything goes through him incase he leaves?

Hes still brilliant, but something is different.

[Alex]

Or has something changed in the system putting him a little wider and allowing TAA to play more like a RCM? Rarely we see that overlap now.

[Angryred]

& his touch/ball control is woeful these days!...definitely summat has changed!

[Kenneth]

I think it’s his personal form.

[Buzzo]

He was double man marked in the first leg vs Villareal and still got an assist. Same as last night. I think, clearly, his form is not at those pre-Christmas levels, but he is still a threat which teams obviously identify. He does work tirelessly in defence as well as stretching teams on the counter, it feels like the ball isnt quite bouncing for him at times, but I wouldnt expect that to last. The issue teams face is with Salah 'contained' (ish) they have a re-invograted Mane and Diaz to worry about.

He seems massively chilled at the moment, my gut says his contract is signed and it will be announced once the season is over.

[Shaggy]

Re his contract - he's in his 3rd CL final in 5 years since being here. Why would he want to go anywhere else? I thought he was gone but I've changed my mind, I think they'll reach a compromise.

[Buzzo]

Re his contract - he's in his 3rd CL final in 5 years since being here. Why would he want to go anywhere else? I thought he was gone but I've changed my mind, I think they'll reach a compromise.

Agree. He also doesnt come across as a guy who is money motivated at all. I loved that interview he gave last night how he sets himself personal targets (40 goals and 15 assists FFS ). We benefit by how driven he is. What he must be also beginning to see now is a structure where we dont have to rely solely on him.

He wants legend status, and is on his way to achieving it with us. If he went anywhere else he would have to start again.

It was interesting that BT did not ask him at all about his contract last night.

[Pablo]

Re his contract - he's in his 3rd CL final in 5 years since being here. Why would he want to go anywhere else? I thought he was gone but I've changed my mind, I think they'll reach a compromise.

Now that Jurgen has extended, if there is a reason left, it can only be money.

He'd be making a huge mistake if he does just leave for more money, he'll never have it anywhere near as good as he does here.

I've said he's leaving for ages, but I'm actually more confident he'll stay now, I really feel he's running out of any reasons to justify leaving to be honest.

I think if its signed and they are picking the right time to announce it, before the Champions League final would make sense?