Here's an interesting topic, which player who plays or has played for Chelsea was misused the most.
Whether that be lack of game time, a formation that didn't suit them or a position they weren't meant for.
This doesn't have anything to with form or skill, just tweaks you would feel that would have helped said player reach their potential. 

Edited August 26, 20178 yr by TomCFC85

Mikel

Mikel obviously. 

Felipe luis. 

Always felt Zhirkov should have been used further upfront as a number 10 or on the wing, the few occasions he did play there he looked very good.

Borgarde. He was very misused !!

Marina, she should be selling real estate to Russian Billionaires. 

Scott Parker & Kevin De Bruyne

Edited August 27, 20178 yr by jack_super_class

Zhirkov, Lukaku

Filipe Luis.

Michael ballack, seemed at times that Jose didn't really want him so he never really gave him the opportunity to run the game for Chelsea, allow him to control matches. Rather he had to play second fiddle to Frank lampard.

Fernando Torres, shoehorned into a team that didn't play to his strength and rushed back to fitness, he was then jumped on by the press and fans and had so much pressure on his shoulders whenever he played which was never really alleviating by the manager or team. 

De Bruyne

Should have been a world class player alongside Hazard for us not Manchester City

Agree on Luis but was there Atletico shenanigans in the background?

8 hours ago, dkw said:

Michael ballack, seemed at times that Jose didn't really want him so he never really gave him the opportunity to run the game for Chelsea, allow him to control matches. Rather he had to play second fiddle to Frank lampard.

This 100%. Ballack had his best spell for us when lamps was out injured for a few weeks. 

It has to be Mikel. He sacrificed or killed a promising career as one of the best attacking midfielder in the world to become nothing more than a good defensive midfielder.
Everytime I watch a replay of the confederation cup match between Nigeria and Spain, the way he singlehandedly bossed the midfield against the likes of Iniesta, Busquet etc make me feel sad. That's biggest waist of talent ever!

21 hours ago, dkw said:

Michael ballack, seemed at times that Jose didn't really want him so he never really gave him the opportunity to run the game for Chelsea, allow him to control matches. Rather he had to play second fiddle to Frank lampard.

In Mourinhos defence he had just dominated the premier league for 2 years straight. Then he had Ballack and Sheva put on him and Chelsea changed formation to accomadate the 2. Changed from everything Mourinho had done and knew. It was the worst thing which could have happened and Chelsea lost the PL that year and never had good enough back up in defence. Was the beginning of the end for me between Mourinho and Chelsea.

In the premiership Lampard was the boss. 

Felipe Luis or KDB for me. Luis was just never given a chance for some reason, even with a rapidly deteriorating brana and a ready made replacement on the right in Dave. KDB . . . well we all know what happened there, i'll never forget that first game of the season against hull where he looked very good, and then barely featured again.

9 minutes ago, RMCM said:

Felipe Luis or KDB for me. Luis was just never given a chance for some reason, even with a rapidly deteriorating brana and a ready made replacement on the right in Dave. KDB . . . well we all know what happened there, i'll never forget that first game of the season against hull where he looked very good, and then barely featured again.

Luis would have been the perfect LB Chelsea had been waiting for a while, if Mourinho takes one dislike to you that's your career over at the club he manages. Then theres KDB and Lukaku. I still believe Salah and Cuadrado was never given a real chance at Chelsea. Cuadrado had 3 starts from when he signed till the end of the season, I'm sorry but that's never enough playing time. He obviously has quality.

Just to throw another name out there, Schurle.

Kept getting played on the right which meant he wasn't getting into many scoring positions like he did when playing on the left.

Hazard should have been in the #10 role with Willian on the right.

Gutted when Schurrle left, don't think we saw everything he had to offer. 

There were a few under the 2nd Mourinho era which were treated unfairly and misused I thought, Schurrle, De Bruyne & Felipe Luis would be the 3. Always performed well and never given a chance. But the most I've saw in my lifetime was Daniel Sturridge, he was the only bright spark in the AVB era, young age & our top goal scorer despite playing out of position. I thought Di Matteo was quite harsh with Sturridge, especially in the second season when he was pushed to the sidelines to make way for Torres who always had trouble scoring. I still regret to this day selling him despite his last 2 seasons at Liverpool. 

2 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

Luis would have been the perfect LB Chelsea had been waiting for a while, if Mourinho takes one dislike to you that's your career over at the club he manages. Then theres KDB and Lukaku. I still believe Salah and Cuadrado was never given a real chance at Chelsea. Cuadrado had 3 starts from when he signed till the end of the season, I'm sorry but that's never enough playing time. He obviously has quality.

I thought Salah was very underrated at Chelsea, he was good in his first 6 months, then after that Mourinho completely pushed him out of the team. He had some awful performances in the cup games but he seemed to me a player who lost his confidence, then he made up for all that when he left. You also have a point of Cuadrado, but I never really seen him put in a good performance at Chelsea because I think I can only recall a few games where he even played. 

6 minutes ago, Slojo said:

I thought Salah was very underrated at Chelsea, he was good in his first 6 months, then after that Mourinho completely pushed him out of the team. He had some awful performances in the cup games but he seemed to me a player who lost his confidence, then he made up for all that when he left. You also have a point of Cuadrado, but I never really seen him put in a good performance at Chelsea because I think I can only recall a few games where he even played. 

I never really saw either player play that well in a Chelsea shirt and of course people will argue that point.

People need to look at it from another view though. New league, new team, do they speak English? , If you don't settle straight away it can always be difficult to come back, I think it's all to do with confidence as both players clearly have quality. Just need to see what they have done since they have left the club. 

I will also say Mourinho can't be the easiest manager to work for. If he loves you like Fellani then your sorted, one thing out of place and your out the door. 

Another one is Schurrle, these players need to play consistently and gain confidence. I reckon at the club you can feel when Mourinho doesn't have trust you like a lampard,  Terry, Dave etc and it can't be easy being in and out the team.

Not really misused, rather unused but I'm going for Schürrle. Still think his failure to run with Milner for Lamps' equaliser at the Etihad (2014-15) ended his career, albeit harshly as he had just scored minutes earlier. I reckon Mourinho either never forgave or trusted him again...and he was off in January. He just seemed to never play as much after that. Shame because the missus loved him and we had just started dating that season.

 

Anyway, back on topic: I would say Mikel probably was misused. Agree with wallosh that he basically sacrificed his career to play the deeper role with us. Kalou, Sturridge, Meireles, Diarra, Geremi could also fit that category. The likes of Fàbregas, Essien, Azpilicueta, Ballack, while all may have been technically misused, all played/play as if every position was natural to them.

Edited August 28, 20178 yr by BellettiBullet

Mikel or De Bruyne for me.