Attacking midfielder Juan Mata lead the Premier League in assists and was named Chelsea Player of the Year in 2012, yet he made just 13 appearances the following Fall before his transfer to Manchester United. His lack of playing time was seen as another predictable bullet in manager José Mourinho’s battle of pragmatism over aesthetics. Surely a side with the expectations of Chelsea, languishing in third place at the time of the winter transfer period, could use a player who was statistically the best playmaker in the league at the time. Especially a side which featured Fernando Torres and Samuel Eto’o at striker.

Soon after Mata’s transfer to United, Michael Cox wrote an article dividing Chelsea’s midfield creators into three categories of runners: the short accelerator (Willian), the midrange speedster (Eden Hazard), and the long distance sprinter (Ramires). While Mata had loads of skills and passes, he lacked the requisite running required to balance Mourinho’s midfield. The distinctions get more subtle the higher you go. 

But as Cox’s article pointed out, running is more important than ever before. Gary Neville commented how Arsenal’s side last season was the slowest he’s ever seen (this coming from a manager whose side featuring Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljunberg and didn’t lose a match that season). Arsenal signed Alexis Sanchez, who lead Chile’s speedy attack in the World Cup and recalled Joel Campbell, who played the same role for Costa Rica, to right the speed ship. But Sanchez’s thunderous counterattacking runs are obvious. Perhaps a signing that reflects the value of runners is Adam Lallana move to Liverpool.

Runners: The Undervalued Skill?

The over $40 million fee Liverpool paid to Southampton for Lallana caused flashbacks to the Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing transfer overpays. Exactly how much do you want to pay to show that you’re smarter than your competition? Especially for an attacker that has only scored 13 goals in his last 72 matches, or doesn’t possess the loud, rampaging runs of Sanchez’s YouTube compilations. But like the players in Chelsea’s midfield, Lallana is a runner, finishing fifth in total distance covered last season. Lallana’s “Best of” compilation would feature him tirelessly pressing or tracking back for 18 minutes. Any takers? 

And of course it would be Liverpool to search out and (over)pay for this type of “more than meets the eye” skill. It was the “chances created” metrically driven era that led Liverpool to break a British transfer fee for Andy Carroll, and rate Stewart Downing so highly at the start of the decade. They also led the club to Luis Suárez and Jordan Henderson. So perhaps the important metric in transfer windows is this: some players excel, others disappoint. Exit Damien Comolli and Kenny Dalglish; enter Brendan Rodgers. But still, it’s not just about winning - but winning smartly.

Jürgen Klopp, in charge of his own value finding machine at Borussia Dortmund, found similarities between his club and Rodgers’ Liverpool. Dortmund has had to find cheaper replacements for Shinji Kagawa, Mario Götze, and Robert Lewandoski in the past years to compete both domestically and in Europe. The club relied on their fabled scouting system to find Henrikh Mkhitaryans or Piere-Emerick Aubameyangs. Rodgers himself found value in transfers with Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge (and perhaps Mario Balotelli). But the question goes to both managers - what came first: the system, or the undervalued players?

As for Lallana, he combines in midfield with Jordan Henderson, fourth in distance covered last season. And you could argue that Liverpool’s title hopes went south with his red card against Manchester City that led him to miss three of the four final matches of the season. Liverpool missed his tireless running and pressing of opponents. Or did the side miss his ability to create chances more? Much has been written about the demise of the static No. 10. Then again, Mata did command $60 million in the transfer market. 

The Case of Distance Covered

We look to possession stats to draw match conclusions. A team won the possession battle 60-40 and lost the match? Harsh and undeserved. Barcelona underwent a mini-identity crisis after losing the possession battle for the first time in 317 matches, and they won 4-0. Inter Milan’s 24% possession against Barcelona in 2010’s Champions League semifinals was presented as a masterpiece of defense. But say Mourinho and Rodgers have it right, and the more telling metrics of a side’s success was total distance covered or top speed reached.

Running doesn’t express itself on the field in glamorous ways. You only notice it when an opposition center back has a split second less time to complete a pass, or a hurried keeper punts a ball upfield. But it’s an essential trait that makes the whole machine work in both creating goals and preventing chances. Running is hard work - but it pays.