I'd had my doubts about him, but the last 7 or 8 months he was here he consistently looked our best and most committed player every time he managed to get on the pitch. Would do more in 20 minutes than the rest of the team managed over the whole 90, then wouldn't get on til the 85th minute the next week.
Given how shit we were around then, I suspect lots who didn't particularly rate him as a world beater had come to the conclusion that he deserved a new contract. He clearly offered a lot more than the players he was competing with for a squad place.
Whether it was Lambert being stubborn, Lerner refusing to cough up the funds or a combination of both, the whole thing stank