Analysing Lionel Messi's Form for Barcelona so Far This Season

Lionel Messi might have been expected to start his season at Barcelona slowly after a disappointing end to last season and a draining World Cup for Argentina, but the reality is at the completely opposite end of the scale.

The knives were already out for the diminutive No. 10 well before the tournament in Brazil after a string of lacklustre performances at club level had left many scratching their heads.

With the media evangelising that we'd obviously seen the best of Messi, his father Jorge was forced to defend his son and noted that Leo was "exhausted," per Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo (via Kirsten Schiewtz of NBC Pro Soccer Talk).

So exhausted during the World Cup in fact that apparently his legs felt like they "weighed 100 kilos" every time he set foot on the field. Not that you would've known:

A rest really would have been in order, but like all of the great sportsmen, Messi wasn't looking for excuses.

Instead, La Pulga set about returning to his best club form. And how.

From the very first whistle of the 2014/15 La Liga season, Messi has been in among it and constantly involved.

Luis Enrique's decision to play him in the same position as he does for the Argentine national team has reaped immediate dividends.

A nomadic existence perfectly suits the facets of Messi's game and an easy adaptability in the role evidences his intelligence and quality as a footballer.

Apart from the game against Malaga where frankly every Barca player had an off day, Messi has been at the sharp end. Scoring, creating and generally causing panic wherever he roams.

Therein lies the key to his success in the role, as teams aren't able to commit any one player to mark him or the areas around him, because he is never in one place long enough.

Take the most recent game against Rayo Vallecano.

Picked to essentially play in the central role of a front three, Messi only played there in fits and starts.

Rayo didn't help themselves during the match playing a particularly high line, but Messi was able to work from deep without fear of being picked up and drift beyond the lines with ease as soon as Barca wanted to break at pace.

His wanderlust has been mirrored in each game he's played this season and his form has been devastating.

Seven La Liga games, seven assists and seven goals. Five man-of-the-match performances plus two more in the Champions League, per WhoScored.com.

His passing accuracy has remained at a solid 83.8 percent, per WhoScored, with over 3.5 key passes each game.

While that may pale into comparison (via WhoScored) to Ivan Rakitic and Xavi Hernandez for example, Messi has been on the pitch for significantly longer than the latter and neither play at the ferociously fast pace at which Messi excels. His dancing feet are simply Astaire-esque at times.

His goal at the weekend took him to within two of the all-time record of 251 set by Athletic Bilbao's Telmo Zarra some 60-odd years ago. Not bad for a player who isn't a natural centre-forward.

Javier Mascherano is certainly in no doubt that his fellow countryman continues to set the bar, he told Tot Sant Cugat (via Sean Gallagher of the Daily Mail):

"

Criticism of Messi, on several occasions, has been excessive.

We are accustomed to unimaginable things, that only he can do, and when he doesn't score a goal it doesn't mean he's not good.

It's practically impossible to see him play badly.Everything Barca have done in recent years has been thanks to players like Messi.

"

The state of Malaga's pitch no doubt contributed to a below-par 90 minutes from the whole team but in every other match so far Messi has been head and shoulders above every other player on the pitch.

The best sign of measuring his genius on the football pitch is that opponents know exactly what he is going to do, but they are still unable to stop him from executing a particular play.

In his new role, shown below, he can now become more influential than ever before, essentially with the free role that allows for movement right across and in-between the lines of play.

Jason Pettigrove via B/R formation builder.

By drawing the defence to him, as has happened on many occasions already this season, ample space opens up behind the back four for Messi to then showcase his passing range.

Tracking back into his own half in search of possession, Messi hasn't sat still during this campaign. Moreover, he has often been the catalyst to Barca's attacks, receiving from a standing start in the heart of the midfield and then bursting forward at speed to create or score himself, as is his wont.

It's difficult to be critical of any part of Messi's game at this juncture. The "false nine" is morphing into the "perfect 10" before our very eyes.