No I don't think it is really. I do agree with an earlier poster who mentioned his inability to drive at the opposition and his tendancy to play a safe pass backwards or sideways when on the attack.
His job is to ghost past the forward line and arrive in the penalty area, rather than be the one doing the driving forward - Martin Peters-lite. It's partly why Allen looks better when the team's playing better - they actually get him the ball now and again! It's also partly why he's looked better since our first season back - I actually didn't think he was bad *that* season either, but there were often times he was making space and people were unable to get him the ball. And he's never able to pick the game up by the scruff of the neck, although really only Hamer can do that in our current midfield (and Kelly, in different ways, but we'll probably never see that again).
He keeps the ball, keeps our shape, keeps our tempo ticking along, bridges midfield and attack, can actually shoot and pass long range if given the opportunity, but clearly he's not in the side for that.
I mean, nobody is saying he's Messi! But neither are our other midfielders. It's the pre-judging that annoys me really.
