Finishing isn't a thing

I’m amazed that this thread has reached 7 pages. Is there any ability in the world where everyone is equal?
 
amolbhatia50k said:
I’m amazed that this thread has reached 7 pages. Is there any ability in the world where everyone is equal?
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I think it's fascinating, hence my stats diving.

Of course everything isn't going to be equal but at one point in time I'd have thought that forwards, seeing as they're being paid to be the players to shoot and score more often would be further ahead of average than they actually are when it comes to xG. That a legendary goalscorer like Lewandwski can score so many while being somewhat under xG was/is a bit of an eye-opener, even more when it comes to Dzeko who is a million miles off yet has scored loads.

While xG in itself is taken from the average outcome of all shots so includes all players, forwards do take more shots so the stat itself is built more around what they do than it is full-backs that can't hit a barn door from 3 yards away who only shoot a few times a season. Still, would at one time have thought that certain players would be ahead rather than behind, and some further ahead than they actually are. Practically no difference between Haaland and Ayoze Perez for example, or Danny Ings being better than Mo Salah at actual finishing. Nils Petersen (almost a who?) actually a great finisher, better than all the world-class forwards shows that finishing in itself isn't enough to be great, and back to Lewandowski, he shows that you can very much be great while finishing not being a particular strength.

Then there's the relative closeness of it all. Someone like Lukaku, often a figure of fun will actuallally only score 1 or 2 goals a season fewer than Haaland based of their xG if given same chances. This assuming xG modelling has any value and is accurate. I'd have thought the difference would be considerably bigger at one point in time. A lot of forwards are closely grouped like that, some regarded as fantastic, some not so much.
 
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NotThatSoph said:
Other players do get their shots in the same positions, that's exactly how xg is calculated.
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Let's agree that if a player get's a shot away, then they will accumulate the same xG from the same position, that is clear.

Not every player get's a shot away from where Haaland scores his first on Saturday, so with other players in Haaland's shoes on Saturday there might not even be registered a chance in that case. That goal is a great example of how his finishing ability also accumulates xG because his finishing "toolbox" contains tools that makes him able to get that shot off, where many other forwards never gets to finish. Another example is his second goal on Saturday(which is not down to finishing, but his phisique and movement), where you safely can say that many other forwards doesn't get a shot off from that Ederson pass, hence wouldn't accumulate that xG.
Another very obvious example is Haaland's goal against Dortmund in the CL a couple of years ago. With any other player in his shoes that day, that's a goalkick (0,00xG). The chance (xG) and goal was created by his physique and finishing ability alone. Hence better finisher usually also accumulate more xG than not so good finishers.
 
Last minute of the CL final and a United player is put through clear on goal. You have your choice of Van Nistelrooy or Weghorst to get that chance.

Now tell me you don’t think finishing is a thing.

A huge part of finishing is composure.
 
simonhch said:
Last minute of the CL final and a United player is put through clear on goal. You have your choice of Van Nistelrooy or Weghorst to get that chance.

Now tell me you don’t think finishing is a thing.

A huge part of finishing is composure.
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Are we playing Liverpool or a random club? I’d probably pick Weghorst against the scousers because it would be so much funnier if he scores and brings us the win.
 
If you've ever played football you'd know finishing is a real thing. I've missed golden goal-scoring opportunities because I panic and don't have the composure and focus to score. Getting into the correct position was the easy part for me...
 
So if two players each get 5 chances that are near enough identical in a game (1v1, open header from a cross, one timer at edge of the box, 5-yard tap in, freekick) where both players both have space and time to fini...ehm, direct the ball towards the net using their preferd bodypart, and player A scores 5 goals and player B scores none, you're telling me that the reason one went 5/5 and the other 0/5 has nothing to do with finishing?
 
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The propositional content in the OP "I don't think finishing is a thing." is absurd.

Is shooting baskets in basketball a thing? Is throwing the football in American football a thing? Is fishing in the sport of fishing a thing?
 
Next up…..”passing isn’t a thing, it just the ability to be in one place and see a player in another place. What’s actually important is the ability to be in one place and see a different player in the other place. Law of average dictates that everyone will end up with the same passing stats anyway. Eric Djemba-Djemba is as good at passing as Paul Scholes.”
 
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