Gary Neville Defends Calling Chelsea 'Blue Billion-Pound Bottlejobs'
Gary Neville has defended his comments about Chelsea following their loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, where he labeled them as 'blue billion-pound bottlejobs'. Neville claims that Chelsea shrunk in the crucial moments of the match and failed to seize the opportunity. Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino rejects Neville's description and believes his team gave it their all. Jamie Carragher agrees with Neville's comments and says that the tag will stick until Chelsea win something big.
Gary Neville's Comments on Chelsea
Gary Neville has doubled down on his description of Chelsea as 'blue billion-pound bottlejobs' following their loss in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool. Neville believes that Chelsea failed to grab the moment and showed signs of fear and shrinking on the pitch. He claims that they let Liverpool's young players and manager, Jurgen Klopp, gain confidence.
While some argue that Chelsea's team was younger than Liverpool's, Neville clarifies that his reference to 'Klopp's kids' was not about age but about the fact that Liverpool made several substitutions during the match, including the introduction of relatively unknown players. Neville emphasizes that Chelsea had the opportunity to defeat a weakened Liverpool side but did not seize the moment.
Mauricio Pochettino's Response
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino rejects Gary Neville's description of his players as 'blue billion-pound bottlejobs'. Pochettino believes that Chelsea's team, despite being younger, performed well against Liverpool, who finished the match with young players on the pitch. He claims that Chelsea gave a big effort and should not be judged unfairly based on Neville's comments.
Pochettino emphasizes that his team has a young squad and compares it to Liverpool's progression under Jurgen Klopp, suggesting that Chelsea should continue to believe in their project and strive for success in the coming years.
Jamie Carragher's Perspective
Jamie Carragher supports Gary Neville's comments and believes that the tag of being 'blue billion-pound bottlejobs' will stick with Chelsea until they win something significant. Carragher points out that in extra-time, Chelsea played defensively, allowing Liverpool's young players to grow in confidence. He criticizes Chelsea for not taking advantage of the opportunity to win against Liverpool's B team.
Carragher draws parallels to his own experience with Liverpool in the 1990s when they were labeled the 'Spice Boys' after losing an FA Cup final. He argues that until Chelsea achieves major success, the tag given by Neville will persist.
