No, it doesn't clear it up whatsoever. Tiago is fit, played a good match yesterday, and deserves a starting role. End of.
Tiago isn't even a playmaker. Again, Vinni, you are way off when it comes to this player.
You have around 4 positions in the mdifield,
1- RM/LM (more or less depending on the formation, a wing) as in Camoranesi, Nedved, previous roles of Zambrotta. These players have the abilities to play on the side, drift in the middle when needed and are excellent in crossing. Many prefer the player to be fast. But players like Camoranesi who are not very fast can do the job by having excellent techniques.
2- DM, as in Zanetti, Nocerino. Players who can abruptly cut the ball. Obtain possession. Win back balls in the midfield. Prevent counter attacks. They are the first line of defence. Aggressive players with high levels of fitness.
3- CM, as in Pirlo. Players who are gifted with the ability to pass extremely well. Who, although can, do not need to run with the ball alot to deliver it to the next player. They are good in both short and long passes. They should have the ability to shoot from distance. In addition, they should have a decent defensive abilities. Can maintain ball possession.
4- OM, as in Kaka, Nedved when he plays in the center..etc These are players who can run with the ball, dribble past players and open up spaces. Players with proper attacking mentality. Some refer to them as an attacking Joker, they can play wherever they feel its needed. Shifting from right to left. But their main role is infront of the midfielders.
A playmaker is usually either OM or CM.
This how I classify midfielders. Please (and I am not being sarcastic or anything) which place do you see Tiago playing at?
For me he's either an OM or a CM who can play as a RM. Thats how I always saw Tiago.
The problem with Tiago currently is that he is not a DM. So to ask him to take Zanetti or Nocerino's role is just like asking him walk on his hands. And since he is not playing so often he cannot do a CM's job well because it requires a high level of adaptation with the team.
When he was fielded in the game against Lazio, he was supposed to take the role of a CM. In this means he should have helped the team to maintain possesion. I do agree that there were few moment where one could feel that he was trying to do something. It is moments after our 3rd goal immediately. The problem is that he did not continue to do so. It was clear that he lacks alot of match fitness (not FITNESS, rather than MATCH fitness).
In few occassions we had a good chance to counter and he did pass the ball towards the right direction but it was too weak. Plus the one here and one there wrong passes.
He did run alot. He tried to take a role of a DM for while which he failed in doing so. He couldn't put proper pressure on the oponent as Zanetti or Nocerino are capable of.
To me, the game against Lazio wasn't that impressive interms of performace from Tiago's side. But I don't want to put alot critisim on him for two reasons:
1- The whole side, if you exclude DP and Gigi weren't playing well.
2- He lacks alot of match fitness.
So unless he gets some playing time and shows he's worth it, he is still an over priced purchase (whether he's good or not, if we did not benefit from his acusition, then he will be remembered as waste of money)..
Imagine buying Kaka for 30 million euros. Great player. Then you don't play him for whatever reason (e.g. problem with coach, or he is just not putting enough effort in the trainning) and whenever you play him he perferms averagely. Does that make the money put on him worthwhile? No.