“Where is Man United on the League table?”: Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino hits back at Man United legend for what he said about Chelsea after FA loss.
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Mauricio Pochettino branded Gary Neville’s claims that Chelsea are ‘billion pound bottle jobs’ unfair as he urged his players to feel the pain of Wembley heartache.
In his commentary, Neville said: ‘[Jurgen] Klopp’s kids winning against the blue billion pound bottle jobs’ as Liverpool clinched an extra time victory courtesy of Virgil van Dijk’s header to lift the Carabao Cup.
Chelsea have spent close to £1billion in transfer fees since the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital takeover in 2022 – and in response to the former Manchester United defender’s assertions, Pochettino said: ‘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.’
Pochettino also called on his stars to take the disappointment of their final loss firmly on the chin, whilst also admitting he is running out of time to win his first trophy in England.
The 51-year-old 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.’
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