The crux of the matter with Dimitar Berbatov is that you always want a little more. Just imagine how good he might be if he tried harder, or broke into a sprint even, just now and then.
Those who formed the best working relationships with him, like Martin Jol, seemed to get beyond that temptation and accept Berbatov was not like the others.
Perhaps he understood the enigma better than others or saw traces of the Dutch in his game. Berbatov fashioned his game on Marco van Basten and there were flickers of Dennis Bergkamp in his effortless control, vision and appreciation of the space around him.
'In his style, he works hard,' said Jol, who coached him at Tottenham and lured him to Craven Cottage, where he hailed this piece of business as 'Fulham's biggest ever signing'.
In a way it was. Berbatov arrived from Manchester United at the age of 31, with plenty in the tank, certainly for someone who operates at strolling pace. No-one ever questioned his talent. A flash of his brilliance could brighten the dullest of games.
Questions about his application, however, were never far away, exaggerated by his demeanour. He rarely spoke but his body language screamed that he couldn't care less. Not good, especially for the captain of a struggling team.
At White Hart Lane and Old Trafford, the quality of those around him could carry him along on those quiet days, but at the Cottage the team was misshapen, high on flair, low on graft and ultimately unable to shield their best player from criticism.
Jol was sacked and Fulham were heading for relegation when the Bulgarian departed for Monaco, bringing an end to his seven-and-a-half years in the Barclays Premier League, with most people none the wiser about how good he had actually been.
There was certainly more to him than the miserable looking figure playing in tights, gloves and a roll-neck vest for protection from the wind whipping off the Thames.
There were trophies, two Premier League titles and two League Cup wins. He came on in the Champions League final when United lost to Barcelona in 2009, although Sir Alex Ferguson left him out of the squad two years later when they lost again to the same team.
There were goals, lots of goals at a healthy rate. He scored five in a game for United against Blackburn. There were fabulous volleys and crafty flicks, swerving free-kicks and ice-cool penalties, tap-ins and headers to prove there is deceptive strength in his wiry frame and the occasional overhead kick.
Then there were the tricks and flicks, a sneaky nutmeg, a disguised pass or an aerial back heel with a hint of Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Eric Cantona. Perhaps these are too quickly forgotten.
If football is purely about entertainment, then Berbatov is a worthy prince but he would never become the new Cantona at United as Ferguson hoped he might when he forked out £30million. There was the same brooding presence, physical gifts and technical craft but without the ability to influence the big games at the crucial moments.
There was a time when there seemed a chance he might join Arsenal where he will appear on Wednesday night. With six months left on his deal at Fulham, Wenger lost Nicklas Bendtner to injury and the rumours started but he joined Monaco instead, which seemed an appropriate fit in many ways.
He has always fancied himself as something of a matinee idol with an elegance and idle swagger to suit Monte Carlo. He often played as if there was a pastel-shaded jumper draped across his shoulders, tied loosely by the arms, which he really didn't want to fall in the mud.
For a thirty-something striker of mature years with no great desire to return to his native Bulgaria, this seemed like a good place to wash up.
'He is a really important player for us,' said Monaco's vice president Vadim Vasilyev. 'His vision of the play and his technical ability is outstanding. And he likes Monaco a lot. He has integrated well. His team-mates like him. It is going well for him. It is good for us.'
Berbatov's is the image on the posters pushing tickets for Sunday's game against Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Louis II.
He still has box office glamour for a club which has changed tack and allowed some of its big names to depart. He is also perhaps the closest thing Leonardo Jardim has to a reliable goal source with six in Ligue 1, the top scorer in a team which has found the net 26 times this season.
Monaco, fourth in the French league, reached the last 16 of the Champions League by winning their group with only four goals. Last year, he scored six in 12 games after his move from Fulham. Still he contributes and yet, still you want more.
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