STATS ZONE OVER EUROPE: FourFourTwo's award-winning FREE app now also covers Europe's top five leagues - Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and the Premier League (as well as the Champions League and Europa League).Michael Coxuses the app to reveal Europe's five most prolific crossers...
While European football is currently going through an extended period of attacking play, the concept of crossing has never been so unpopular. As recently as the mid 90s, the top Premier League sides depended on two out-and-out wingers, combined with a traditional strike duo upfront, and concentrated primarily on getting the ball wide, then whipping it into the centre.
Statistical analysis generally reveals that crossing is an inefficient method of attacking â only around 20% of crosses successfully find a teammate, and itâÂÂs rare for a side to score a significant proportion of their goals from this route.
Indeed, the recent obsession with ball retention has significantly changed sidesâ purpose in possession. More sides attempt to penetrate defences with through-balls in behind the opposition, basing their attacking play around passing triangles and neat combinations in the final third.
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Therefore, itâÂÂs interesting to see which players from across EuropeâÂÂs five major leagues â now all available on StatsZone â are still effective at whipping the ball into the box, either from open play or set-pieces. HereâÂÂs a run-down of the top five, based on the number of completed crosses per game.
EuropeâÂÂs fifth-most prolific crosser is Fiorentina captain Manuel Pasqual. A steady, consistent player and one of the few survivors from the Cesare Prandelli era, Pasqual has either played as a wing-back in a 3-5-2, or more recently a standard left-back in a 4-3-3 formation.
Fiorentina play an impressive brand of short passing football, and Pasqual is the player who keeps width as others focus on dominating the centre of the pitch. Despite being a No.9 himself, manager Vincenzo Montella doesnâÂÂt always deploy one, with Luca Toni more regularly a supersub â so it's surprising Pasqual crosses so frequently. However, Fiorentina have become renowned for their set-pieces â they even have a coach, Gianni Vio, who works specially on attacking set-pieces. ThatâÂÂs the main reason for Pasqual completing 2.6 crosses per game.
In fourth place is Peruvian Jefferson Farfan, a very different footballer to Pasqual. Staying high up in his right-wing role, Farfan is an old-school winger who takes on opponents and whips the ball in regularly, if not always accurately. SchalkeâÂÂs best performances uâ such as their recent 2-1 win over defending champions Borussia Dortmund â tend to come when they focus on attacking down that side, with Atsuto Uchida providing reliable support from right-back.
FarfanâÂÂs best game of 2012/13 was actually his first of the season â a 3-1 win over Augsburg in which he created all three goals. He averages 2.6 completed crosses per game.
Leighton Baines is in third position. In an Everton side that use both an old-fashioned No.9 â either Nikica Jelavic or Victor Anichebe â with aerial support coming from Marouane Fellaini in a deeper position, a large part of EvertonâÂÂs game is about crossing. With Steven Pienaar moving inside from left midfield to allow Baines to overlap, the England left-back has created the most chances in the Premier League this season.
As such a key part of EvertonâÂÂs attack, Baines often neglects his defensive duties â but he compensates for that with a succession of dangerous deliveries, including a number from dead ball situations. He completes 2.8 crosses per game.
In second place is a surprise name: Nicky Shorey, with 2.9 crosses per game. He came to prominence in the same season as Baines â 2005/06, when both had been promoted from the Championship with Reading and Wigan respectively. While Baines has since thrived at Everton and established himself in the England squad, Shorey is back with Reading after a mixed spell at Aston Villa, and is on course for relegation this season.
His impressive crossing statistics are almost solely down to his ability from set-pieces. This was most obvious in ReadingâÂÂs 4-3 defeat to Manchester United in December â two of his assists were identical, from inswinging, right-wing corners.
The most prolific crosser in Europe is the only one of these five yet to become a full international â Yohan Mollo. The Saint-Etienne left-winger has had a peculiar season â he started 2012/13 at Nancy, scoring a stoppage time free-kick winner in the 1-0 win over Brest in the first round of the campaign. However, that proved to be NancyâÂÂs only victory before Christmas, and Mollo was allowed to leave on loan in January, moving up the table to Saint-Etienne.
There, itâÂÂs been a completely different experience â his new club havenâÂÂt lost since Christmas, and Mollo has continued to pump a succession of crosses into the box, despite starting from the left as a right-footed player.
At Nancy he successfully cross 3.4 times per match despite receiving the ball frequently in deep positions â which makes him the most prolific deliverer from wide areas in Europe's top five leagues.
Still, considering all these statistics are largely influence by set-pieces, when EuropeâÂÂs âÂÂbestâ crossers successfully find a teammate only three times per match, you can understand why so few clubs play that way.
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