I am honestly starting to believe he is a one-season wonder. He hasn't been doing even the basic passing right lately. Even his long rage shooting, his supposed strong point, has been awful. Hmmm. I have to disagree, I don't think he has been as bad as some make out. The argument that a single player slows down a team does not make any sense imo, especially if the midfield is just as slow without him. Yes he's lost a yard or two and possibly his ability to shoot from outside the box, but he can still pick a pass better than any other midfielder we have ( if you count Mata as a forward) and most importantly can get a few goals, which comes in handy when out strikers can't. Even defensively, he has the ability to make a sliding tackle, unlike raul.