The whispers about Barcelona's playmakers, Lionel Messi, role on the pitch are not a media invention, it's something that even supporters alone have been asking about.
Since the beginning of the season, there has been a widespread feeling that the Argentine is floating around leisurely, only to explode into a sprint when he gets the ball.
Messi Proving The Doubters Wrong
A recent report on the ground covered and highest speeds clocked up by the Barcelona squad shows that this perception reflects the reality.
Messi is running less than his teammates and by some distance, as his average over the course of the campaign is under 8 km a match, more than 3.5 km less than the team's top gun in this respect, Jordi Alba, who averages over 11.5 km a game.
However, what the Argentine lacks in application, he makes up for in raw speed and no one in the 'Azulgranas' ranks has run faster than Messi this term.
The forward laid down a marker in the opening league fixture of the season, against Elche, scampering across the turf at 34.47 km per hour, a mark neither he nor anyone else has been able to better.
Calling Messi lazy would be unfair and yes he may not run around like a headless chicken, he makes his efforts count.
Ronaldo Outscores Messi In 2014
This is illustrated by the fact that the 27-year-old has broken the deadlock in 75% of Barça's games this season en route to racking up 23 goals in all competitions.
Do you think Messi's goals makes up for his so call 'lacklustre' performance? Have your say in the comments section below.
