If he ups his aerial game and positioning, which will in large part come from instruction and a clear role in the new system, he'll look like the guy we were all wishlisting.
He's not the quickest, but he doesn't' need to be. He's not an idiot like you are all making out, and he is technically a very accomplished player with a great range of passing and a reliable attitude. I honestly don't know what the heck ya'll are talking about with his passing...sounds a bit like skinning on the inside. He often hits absolutely sublime passes that his team mates barely have to control themselves. He's also clearly a committed competitor.
He was unfairly picked on from the moment he arrived in England, and it was sad that some of our own fans bought into it. Some of the nonsense pundits were spouting is still lodged in peoples' brains, regardless of what he does on the pitch. If he can't execute with a new, clearly defined role in a system that accounts for his relative lack of pace, and if he doesn't address some of the flaws in his game (he already has addressed his penchant for going to ground too early), then sure, he's not good enough and needs to be replaced.
I have a feeling that he might actually do what is necessary, but I guess we'll just see. He's got more upside than someone like N'Zonzi, that's for sure. Only place he's got him beat is in the air, which is thankfully something that actually can be addressed.
