The flip side of that surely though is that one bad season doesn't make you a bad player?

Overall he's a midfielder who has scored 34 in 87 games for Real.

He's also only 22 - same age as Tim Iroegbunam (and by the end of the month same age as Merlin Rohl).

He has won league titles and the Champions League and scored important goals at important times for his country.

I'm not sure what else you could reasonably expect from him. I don't think even the media who apparently build him up, have him on the same level as a 22 year old Messi or Maradona, but, especially for his age, he is an absolutely fantastic player.