I don't agree that his form has dropped off. He's never been very good, but he's shown glimpses and that's enough for a local lad of his age, to get a lot of us excited about what he might be able to do. The further you get from his debut, though, without any obvious improvement, the harder it is to believe that potential is going to turn into anything.
Personally I've never been a big fan, and I'd have taken anything over £25m cash in the summer (and whatever Chelsea fringe players we may have been able to get into the bargain). I understand why we didn't, and I hoped at the time we'd be vindicated. So far we have not.
With that said, he's still young in real terms. Time is on his side and, for the moment at least, he has a manager that really rates him. After Saturday there's no footy until Chrimbo. I'd honestly look at sending him out on loan in Jan, maybe to a top flight club in another country. I know the question of replacing him as a squad member will be raised, but I'll leave that dilemma up to Big Kev.