He wasnt a b2b midfielder, he played behind the striker. He just didn't play the role in the traditional sense, instead he was always covering the left hand side when Ronaldo drifts inside the box to act as a second striker, effectively making it a 4-4-2 at times.
And yes in his last 2 seasons at Real, especially his last season i totally agree with Ocelot, he was one of the best players in the world.