‘Not fair’ – Mauricio Pochettino responds to Gary Neville’s ‘blue billion pound bottle jobs’ jibe at Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino says the 'blue billion pound bottle jobs' jibe used by Gary Neville to describe Chelsea is unfair.
Neville made the comments as the Blues suffered Carabao Cup final heartache against Liverpool, who relied on numerous young players to get them over the line at Wembley.
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Chelsea had players, including £100million midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo on the pitch and were able to turn to almost £150m worth of talent from their own bench.
After Van Dijk - signed by Liverpool in 2018 for £75m - headed in the winner, Sky Sports pundit Neville, proclaimed: "In extra time it has been Klopp's kids against the blue billion pound bottle jobs."
Pochettino, though, defended his stars and pointed to the age of his own players as a comparison to Liverpool's teenagers.
"I didn't hear what he said but if you compare the age of the two groups, I think it is similar," he said when told what Neville had called his team.
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"But look, I have a good relationship with Gary and I don't know how I can take this but I respect his opinion. Of course, we made a few changes like [Conor] Gallagher and [Ben] Chilwell in extra time but it is true we didn't keep the energy that was how we finished in the second half.
"I don't know how you can describe this situation but for sure I feel proud of the players, I think they made a big effort.
"We are a young team and nothing to compare with Liverpool because they finished also with a few young players. It is impossible to compare and he knows that. He knows the dynamics are completely different.
"I think it is not fair to talk in this way if he says that. But we are going to keep strong and believing in this project and see what we can do in the future."
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POCH VS KLOPP
Pochettino has only won one of his 14 games as a manager against Klopp (D5 L8), going winless in eight matches since recording his only such victory, which was as Tottenham boss when Liverpool were beaten 4-1 in October 2017.
Chelsea, meanwhile, became the first team to lose six successive major English domestic cup finals, with Pochettino now losing the three major finals he has reached while managing in England at both Chelsea and Tottenham,
He told his squad they needed to feel hurt by the setback. "They need to feel the pain," he added.
"We played for a trophy we didn't get and now, it is the same - what can you tell me to feel better? Nothing. They need to feel the pain like us and of course, they need to realise we need to work more, do better things, we need to improve."
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UNFAIR CRITICISM
Many Chelsea fans called talkSPORT in the aftermath to express their displeasure at Pochettino, who faces Leeds in the FA Cup next, with 'Poch Out' one of the main trends on Twitter, but Breakfast host Ally McCoist thinks it's unfair.
"The game could have gone either way, so I'm certainly not going to be as critical of Chelsea and Pochettino as some people are," he said, acknowledging the opportunity he had to win a trophy.
Pochettino pointed to Liverpool's own progression under Klopp as an example for Chelsea to follow in the coming years.
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"To compete in this level with this team that in the last five, six, seven years is competing for big things, it is about to arrive here and then feel what it means to play for a big trophy," he said.
"I remember after three or four years at Liverpool, they lose the Champions League, the Europa League, they keep believing and moving the project (forward) and work on the next season stronger until they get what they wanted.
"That is a good example. If we want to challenge a team like Liverpool, it is not to be frustrated today because we didn't get the trophy. It is taking the example that we need to keep believing."
Chelsea had also seen a goal ruled out after former Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling tapped home a Nicolas Jackson cross in the first half, only for the Senegal international to be marginally ahead of the defence.