Yes, it is said that Cruyff's pass to Neeskens vs Brazil in 1974 took a touch I think, but surely would be seen as an assist I think. On the other hand, referring again to Euro 96, the Portugal goal vs Turkey will be unassisted according to most and certainly FF I guess. The pre assist there by Rui Costa perhaps wouldn't count as a 'decisive pass' even if the actual assist was clean and intended though (but some sources now would likely include it - the Premier League stats site Puck has linked to for example).
Ok you are playing with words like if the actual assist was by the Tukish player. Ok. In any case the cross (by Rui Costa) was clearly not adressed to Couto but to a striker in this case, in a pack with one or two portugiese strikers + some Turkish defenders of course, but I think yes probably destined to Sa Pinto, who is 3 good meters ahed of Couto who finally inheritated of the ball. The ball also flies a bit higher due to the deflection btw (for a magnificient volley by the central defender in the end). But maybe I don't understand well because I don't understand "the actual assist" term maybe due to language reasons : as the pass for Sa Pinto (or in the pack) did not lead to a goal by Sa Pinto I won't call it an assist/ passe décisive but simply a pass (that did not arrived, that did not arrived at destination , at the destination which was intended). Other than that, a pass that would be often counted as an assist nowadays but which really is not would be oneof this type I guess, at 0:28 with the example of Makélélé and Zidane in Israel (2003) : So a pass by Makélélé which eliminates no defender and arrives easily to Zidane who scores with a shot from outside of the box. And it is slightly on the left with not much angle to shoot. And then the shot is slightly deflected but that's another story as it is about the attribution of the goal (it was given to Zidane here and I think it is right in this case). Btw in the article of FF that PvH posted, it is written that Djorkaeff got 3 assists at he Euro 96 but one of them is about an o.g. by a Bulgarian. So in reality it is two : a cross on the Dugarry's head in the first group stage match against Romania (final score 1-0) and the ck on Blanc's head, against Bulgaria (the first goal in the match, final score 3-1).
Sorry for confusing you - Rui Costa was actually the player who passed the ball to the player who crossed it before the deflection (and the cross wasn't intended for Couto as you say). I understand what you mean. I remember being told that Pele's pass to Jairzinho vs Czechoslovakia in 1970 (after which Jairzinho dribbled and then scored) was not counted as an assist (by FIFA maybe) so that was also the older-fashioned approach to allocating assists or decisive passes I guess. Strange that Djorkaeff is listed with just 1 decisive pass/assist in the main section then, but with 3 in his own profile (like I say the detail and FF page is in the Euro 96 thread).
Ah ok, sorry (I watched on dailymotion but on my computer the pictures halted and I haven't pay enough attention on who was who as I was certain that R. Costa crossed the ball due to the audio commentaries, lack of attention from me/ watched very quickly only one time). But yes that was certainly well played by R. Costa. Yep. I had not read this part, well seen! The correct number is between the two. It's two. Maybe that in the article which is about the profiles they accept the term of assist in a wider sense (in order to underline the involvement of the players, like of a Djorkaeff as it happens). Then in the ranking I only see two solutions : here they don't count the assists coming from set-pieces (should be verifiable thanks to the other players) or they simply forgot one (maybe due to a typo in their data firstly).
Yes, I think you are right about set-pieces - Gascoigne does not receive an assist (in the list of 'Passeurs') for the corner that Sheringham headed in vs the Netherlands for example. And Djorkaeff's profile refers to decisive passes indeed, so maybe that was deemed a different measure, but as you say maybe it was referring to involvement in goals and I wouldn't be sure even though the same term is used that it wouldn't be wider than the decisive passes criteria for 95/96 in the French league (just because that seems fairly restricted maybe if nobody had more than 10 over a whole season including set pieces etc?).
Using England examples again though (and assuming no errors of accidental omission) I think I'm really understanding this concept of 'decisive passes': Ince does not get listed with an assist vs Switzerland (or indeed for winning a penalty vs Netherlands, wheras in Fantasy Football that would have got him an assist too even, as would the Switzerland pass). Wheras Zola, ofc generally more inventive and a better passer in general (but not necessarily with a better pass technically/inventively here) does get one for Casiraghi's goal vs Russia. And the difference is the chances of scoring I think - Shearer does have to drive the ball into the net from an angle and a reasonable distance, while Casiraghi must have been deemed to have a great chance to score from Zola's (decisive) pass. Another England player, McManaman, also does not get an assist in that list of Passeurs for his pass to Gascoigne vs Scotland (that is even more obvious why ofc, given Gascoigne scored after playing the ball over Hendry's head). Sheringham vs the Netherlands must be deemed to give Shearer an excellent chance to score, despite the fact he still drove the ball into the net again, and that I can understand too (the disguise/timing of the pass was notable ofc, but maybe the main factor was the chance he gave Shearer to score).
(Sorry to talk so much about Euro 96 on this thread btw - but this topic is more relevant to what we discuss here and not so much about 'the best players of Euro 96' directly even if we're cross-referencing threads!): However.....if Asanovic has been given an assist for Suker's goal vs Denmark that would be interesting! In theory, yes, there is a direct chance to chip the ball over Schmeichel's head...but it was a great/sublime finish, placed and struck to perfection really. I'd have to look again for other Asanovic assists, but I know he got one vs Turkey for Vlaovic, and in my head now I'm thinking the Suker one is the other one awarded and unless I'm mixed up think that must be correct.
I'm not sure about if the assists from set-pieces were counted or not for the Division 1. I think/guess yes, contrarily to what was done regarding the Euro as you demonstrated it. About the totals of the individuals which are generally not high in D1/L1 it could have to do with the fact that the French League is quite defensive or prudent. It's not the 90s Serie A but at the same time it's not the Spanish football neither (so the average number of 10 for the top assist man in general in those years, could be even less). These caracteristics of the League are still current but on the other hand, maybe (not sure, haven't verified yet) that the top assisters have higher numbers since some years. Because the strikers/ attackers in general are more protected...because of the new PSG too (and the decreasing level of the others, in general). And maybe that the counting of the assists/passes décisives is a bit less "severe" now also. Marvin Martin playing for Sochaux had an abnormal total of assists for the French League too some years ago, around 2012 I guess (more than 15 and was amongst the top assisters in Europe like Xavi, Messi). The highest totals of assists by player starts around 2010 I guess. I can check wikipedia quickly, it is not difficult and that's what I do now and well here it's just about the recent years but we can see it, that's what I thought. Don't know the numbers pre-2008 but I think we can see a transition about the totals of the top assist-man around 2010. Now there's Rothen with 18, according to L'Equipe, in 2002-2003 but I guess that it was exceptional even a little event at the time.
^ here's the link btw (I forgot): https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meilleurs_passeurs_du_championnat_de_France_de_football
To chip in on this, I've also the impression it has gotten wider with the years (I mean, that the 'narrow' has become wider). I have the OPTA yearbooks between 1999 and 2003 which has many excellent statistics (including references to which players made a side 'better' as well - so not only 'bottom up' but also 'top down') and now I can even see the 1997-98 Premiership season (but not 1996-97 and earlier). This confirms the picture. In 1997-98 no attacker had more than 29 so called "key passes", with the third best at 25 key passes (Beckham is much higher, but with many from dead balls I guess, going by the 1999-2003 data). That feels very low, and is very low today. Part of it is maybe also due to other factors (offside law change, widening resources & power at the top, 30-40% higher fouls per game, generally more goals scored by the very top teams) but I guess it was a little bit more narrow back then, yeah. If you look matches of Michael Owen around the time it appears to be higher than merely 25 (in 36 matches), and someone apparently uploaded past week compilations of DB10 in which he's a bit older and playing against top opponents (Lazio, Lyon) and that's another thing that makes me *think* a "key pass" was back then on the safer end as it is now. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqc7-kEzc-5iB_m9-GCX3sQ
Yes. That's many, many factors. Maybe a need to increase the stats too in order to sell it more, so intentionally or maybe not. Maybe that it is not totally intentional. Surely not totally as the game changed. But the statisticians who are behind the numbers played a role into the inflation of the numbers too I'd say. The statisticians but also the journalists/ reporters who are just following the tendency (a mag without zillions of stats will be judged outdated now for sure or even unreliable). And so the problem is that this tendency was not necessarily created by people who really understand or simply, like football. Btw thanks for I understand better the term 'narrow' now. Understood it completely the wrong way at first, thought it meant the opposite...that's it.
Always interesting to read what then and future coaches say about other players. Slaven Bilic (then West Ham United, came in January 1996 for a mighty fee) said late April 1996: "Two of my Croatian team-mates are among Europe's most magnificent seven. "Alen Boksic from Lazio and Davor Suker at Real Madrid have the real star quality of world-class strikers. "You ask me for the others in a top, magnificent striking seven in Europe at the moment. "It must include Rui Costa of Portugal, Jurgen Klinsmann of Germany, Alessandro Del Piero of Italy and Dennis Bergkamp of Holland." Also interesting with euro 1996 in mind (what happened there). For him Rui Costa was already on the radar.
This is perhaps helpful and/or interesting too (in terms of who played well but ofc bookmakers also look at other factors instead of merely consistent form): Ladbrokes had this as odds for euro 96 topscorer pre tournament: Jurgen Klinsmann 9/2; Patrick Kluivert 5/1; Fabrizio Ravanelli 8/1; Oliver Bierhoff, Dennis Bergkamp 10/1; Alan Shearer, Hristo Stoichkov, Davor Suker 12/1. Daily Mail said: Klinsmann 9/2; Kluivert 5/1; Ravanelli 8/1; Suker, Bergkamp 10/1; Djorkaeff and Shearer 12/1.
As an additional note: Ravanelli was bought by Middlesbrough in July 1996 (so two months after these pre-tournament odds) @PDG1978 might find this nice too. I searched a bit about Kanchelskis because I've to say his highlights really impressed me for this season, as well as his numbers. I found this from the Daily Mirror after the end of the 1995-96 season (yes, I know it is a tabloid). There are also other articles around that mention why some might overlook and under-appreciate him (as a clear contrast: Cantona was always in the headlines for more than one reason - just as Ginola, see that 'Independent top 20 players of 1997' piece I posted). Brian Laudrup is in as well.
I've seen a little bit more in the morning and the impression (but maybe I'm incorrect) I got is that a "key pass" back then was more like what we call today a "through ball" and a "clear cut chances". Something in those regions (through balls with dangerous effects + big chances). Otherwise I don't see how Michael Owen had only 25 of them (in 36 games, 34 starts and 29 completed games; 'completed' = full 90 minutes played). It is not necessarily less meaningful as what is the concept today. Clear cut chances and big chances are the same concept according to them.
On the other hand, back in the 1999-00 season they used a wider criteria for dribbles. They dubbed it "dribbles and runs", but listed the success rate for dribbles separately (this time without 'runs'). Not unsurprisingly, the wingers and wing players ended up high (Ginola, Giggs, Kewell, Sinclair, Overmars). Henry was at 3.9 per 90 minutes, Bergkamp 3.5 per 90 minutes (65% "dribble success" rate), Zola 3.1 per 90 minutes. Other concepts as fouls drawn remained stable. The players with 50 fouls or more drawn (called by referee) were: 100 - Emile Heskey (3045 minutes) 94 - Niall Quinn (3035 minutes) 79 - Alan Shearer (3238 minutes) 72 - Hamilton Ricard (2360 minutes) 70 - Andy Booth (1755 minutes) 69 - Mark Hughes (2425 minutes) 69 - Paulo Wanchope (2937 minutes) 69 - Kevin Phillips (3197 minutes) 62 - Dwight Yorke (2555 minutes) 54 - Robbie Keane (2692 minutes) 53 - Paolo Di Canio (2621 minutes) 53 - Steffen Iversen (3085 minutes) 52 - Dennis Bergkamp (1881 minutes) 52 - Chris Armstrong (2513 minutes) For what's worth (as he became outstanding in the subsequent years) Thierry Henry was at 32 fouls (in 2251 minutes), Ballon d'Or winner Owen at 33 fouls won in 1818 minutes for this 1999-00 season. Zola 28 fouls in 2226 minutes.
I already had the full Guerin Sportivo ratings of 1996-97 but I also have who they saw as 'flops' in 1995-96: Paolo Sousa, Fonseca, Stoichkov, Calleri, Kreek, Abel Xavier. Ottavio Bianchi receives retrospectively a 1/10 for 1994-95. He was manager of Internazionale that season (Inter went past many different managers in those years).
On Blanc : he was on the team when they became first and finished the season. His absences are in the first half of the season : Auxerre 2nd at 7 pts from PSG - Auxerre perfectly finished the league season and even made the double. So It would be a bit more "Blanc only played 20 league games but however made the ESM team of the season" if you agree. His come-back from injury (day 21) with his technical supply and leadership was crucial in the AJA's season. He was not alone but was a big plus. He brang his experience, his international player class touch into the ensemble so the team could be not near the top but at the top. PSG was crumbling down but Auxerre did not lost matches - except the reported game in Strasbourg, 1-0 - from the day 22 until the end winning almost all of them and conceding only 6 goals (5 when not counting Strasbourg which was peculiar). Auxerre also beats PSG in D1 by 3-0 in March with Blanc when they lost in the first leg some months before without Blanc (3-1). They also beats PSG in February in 'Coupe' with Blanc (3-1). That one was after that PSG just eliminated Parma in the Cup Winners Cup. PSG won the Cup Winners Cup. Ok it is only 23 league matches but it is not any matches it's the matches to conquer the title (+ the 'Coupe, the titles). And then he had this Euro.