Former Barcelona boss and current Manchester City overlord Pep Guardiola credits Lionel Messi’s management of effort for his continuing success. Great players, as they age, continue to learn and adapt to their aging bodies. It does appear that Messi is learning to contain his efforts in short bursts.
“Stars need to run like anyone else, if not the team can’t cope, you need to convince them to run. Sometimes, you say to them ‘I won’t make you run 40 metres like the 20-year-old athlete in the team, but give me a reason not to run’.