Chelsea: Pochettino hits back at ‘unfair’ Neville after ‘blue billion pound bottlejobs’ jibe in Liverpool loss
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has hit back at Gary Neville’s comments following their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
The Blues lost to Virgil van Dijk’s glancing header in extra time as the Reds secured a last-gasp victory with the game heading towards a penalty shoot-out.
Liverpool were missing as many as 11 injured players for the Wembley showpiece but their young players put in impressive performances to help them to secure the first domestic trophy of the season.
Chelsea had a much stronger bench, while £100million midfielders Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez were on the pitch but Pochettino’s side couldn’t win the game despite the momentum shifting towards the Blues towards the end of normal time.
During his commentary, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville commented: “[Jurgen] Klopp’s kids winning against the blue billion pound bottle jobs” as Liverpool beat Chelsea in extra time.
Reacting to Neville’s comments, Pochettino told reporters: “I didn’t hear what he said, but if you compare the age of the two groups, I think it is similar.
“I have a good relationship with Gary and I don’t know if that’s how I can take this opinion. But I respect his opinion.
“Of course, we made a few changes with [Conor] Gallagher and [Ben] Chilwell in extra time, it is true we didn’t keep the energy of how we finished the second half.
“But for sure I feel proud. I feel proud of the players, I think they made a big effort. We are a young team and, there is nothing to compare with Liverpool (just) because they finished with also a few young players. I think it’s impossible (to compare the two sides).
“He (Neville) knows the dynamics are completely different. I think it’s not fair to talk in this way, if he said that.”
Reflecting on the match, Pochettino added: “We play for a trophy – we didn’t get. You can’t tell me anything to make them feel better. They need to feel the pain like us.
“We need to work more, do better things and to compete in this level against a team that for the last five or six seven years have been competing for big things.
“Some leadership inside the pitch helps. I feel the same as the players. It is so painful. I have less time to win titles, they are younger than me and for sure they have time.
“When you don’t get what you want, always the effort you made over seven or eight months disappears so quickly. That is difficult to manage. It is painful. But if we want to win, we have to move on.”
