Me too (on a different forum - I'm new here!) for season after season I have wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, "maybe this is his season", "he has been played out of position" and "not used to his strengths by manager after manager", and that his development had been stunted by poor management.
I do remember fondly the days of him, Young, Carew tearing defences to pieces, he should have kicked on from there, but he didn't.
I think he got a lot more leeway because he is a local boy, "one of us" - no other player would have been given so many chances by the fans year after year.
But, he has obviously given up, he has become too big for his boots, he obviously doesn't give a shit any more - the Dubai thing was the last straw for me. IF stories about his influence and attitude in the dressing room have any truth to them then it explains a lot - but for me, the complete lack of passion on the pitch, the absolute poor performances, the lack of running (OPTA stats show him as covering less ground per match than any other player) are why he needs to go.
He is club captain, he should have been running his ass off, trying to motivate others and leading by example. He was never a great player, he would never have been "world class" but, he was fast as **** and gave 110% every game, which made him dangerous and his speed alone terrorised defences. Now he still isn't a great player, he is not fast any more, and he now only gives about 10%, most games he stands around the centre circle, hands on hips, huffing and puffing. Now we can argue that he is not fit..... but he is supposed to be a professional athlete (he is neither of those words now) - most other players seem to manage to gain a level of fitness this far into the season, and when they are not fit, they train harder, not slope off to Dubai to party.
Has to go. Goodbye Gabby.