Wasted Years

Which footballers are wasting their careers riding the bench and you feel would have a chance to shine and develop at a club where they'd be regulars?

From the Premier League comes to mind:

Jack Rodwell, Man City
Ryan Bertrand, Chelsea
Apostolos Vellios, Everton
Micah Richards, Man City
Anders Lindegaard, Man United
Gael Bigirimana, Newcastle
Erik Lamela, Tottenham
Victor Moses, Chelsea
Scott Sinclair, Man City (can't even get a game at West Brom lol)

Anyway, a few of those players could be having better careers elsewhere, I reckon. All of them been hyped at some point and you get a feeling their talent and potential is going to waste, that they would be on their way to have better careers someplace else.

Also, would you say the following players are wasting their careers at the moment?
Podolski
Kagawa
Jovetic
David Luiz


A few cases as a comparison:
Adam Johnson rode the bench at City, is having a terrific time at Sunderland now and there's talk he should be on the plane to Brazil.

Daniel Sturridge couldn't get opportunities at Chelsea and just look at him now at Liverpool.

Lallana has stayed his whole career at Southampton despite always being talented and could probably have gotten a move to a bigger club already. However, having a brilliant season and has made his England debut, I don't think he'd have achieved that had he moved too early.


Any players you'd be excited to see playing regularly who are instead wasting their careers?

Bertrand is at Villa and Moses is at Liverpool

Kagawa and Isco.

Caceres

Vermaelen.

Jovetic at City. WTF is he doing to himself

Afellay at Barca

Song at Barca

Went from being a 1st teamer here, to Puyol's lapdog

Blue Barrett wrote:Bertrand is at Villa and Moses is at Liverpool

Moses is a bit-part player at Liverpool, too, and Bertrand just on a random 5-month loan. I wouldn't say either are on the fast-track to glory.

zigra wrote:Vermaelen.

I dunno, he's the first (and only) CB to step in when cover for injuries is needed or rotation, it's not too bad a situation for a defender. It's more difficult for forwards, imo, that's why I added Podolski who is otherwise in a pretty similar situation to Vermaelen.

Kakuta?

Is on his FIFTH loan move away from Chelsea

He's 28 and this season he played less than 350 minutes in league and CL combined. How's that not a bad situation? He's not good enough to start for Arsenal but he certainly shouldn't sit on the bench at that age. Should move soon.
Don't know about Poldi. He was injured so I'd give him a bit more time but I guess his situation isn't all that different.

I'd add Hernandez too. He's better than 4th choice.

Lex wrote:Kakuta?

Is on his FIFTH loan move away from Chelsea

There's no potential to waste in this instance

Every attacker we had under Mourinhio other than Ronaldo. They might well have played 50 games a year, but they were so poorly utilised they might as well have sat on the bench.

Damn lol I remember how excited Chelsea fans were about kakuta. Not sure how much difference it made but he had a really bad injury didn't he? Something like eduardos injury

No, he has a terrible work ethic.

McAgger wrote:Jovetic at City. WTF is he doing to himself

Am I living in some parallel universe?

He's getting himself fit finally and he's now playing and scoring.

Kakuta aka Le Nouveau Zidane according to some of the Chelsea fans, how is he doing btw?

The time we all spent paying attention to this train wreck of a transfer window probably collectively added up to a few wasted years

the xcx wrote:Kakuta aka Le Nouveau Zidane according to some of the Chelsea fans, how is he doing btw?

That title is a joke, none of us care for or want Kakuta at the club anymore.

Chelsea breaking transfer market regulations to bring Kakuta

On topic:

Lamela
Kagawa
Rafael Cabral
Shaqiri
Morata
Guidetti

McAgger wrote:Afellay at Barca

What?

He's been injured the entire time he's been here. When he came and wasn't injured, he actually got a decent amount of time.

He won't anymore though.

M99 wrote:Chelsea breaking transfer market regulations to bring Kakuta

On topic:

Lamela
Kagawa
Rafael Cabral
Shaqiri
Morata
Guidetti

I actually thought about Shaqiri, but he is getting the odd game and is probably the long-term replacement for Ribery or Robben. Like, there is a plan. Most of these players who are wasting their careers probably can't expect to become regulars at their clubs.

Alexandre Song.