Ronald Koeman concedes that other members of his Barcelona side need to do “a lot of running” so that Lionel Messi can be “the best player in the world”.
A mercurial Argentine forward offers plenty to the collective cause at Camp Nou.
His game is, however, all about end product in the final third of the field, with there little value to be found in asking him to help carry a defensive burden.
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Messi is given freedom to express himself each and every time he takes to the field, with various managers for club and country having allowed him to drift in and out of games.