The enduring visual from Sunday’s Carabao Cup final clash between Liverpool and Chelsea will likely be Virgil van Dijk’s sprint after nodding in the winning goal. However, it was Gary Neville’s emphatic commentary on Sky Sports that truly resonated, as he passionately exclaimed, “It’s [Jurgen] Klopp’s kids against the billion-pound bottle jobs,” following Van Dijk’s decisive strike in extra time.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino swiftly responded to Neville’s remarks during a press conference, revealing that despite his team’s wealth of talent, they were banking on a penalty shootout for comfort. This revelation came amidst a backdrop of injury woes for Liverpool, who fielded several inexperienced academy players.
With the Carabao Cup slipping through Chelsea’s grasp, their remaining hope for salvaging a challenging campaign lies in the FA Cup, as their Premier League standings teeter towards a bottom-half finish. Mirror Football tasked its team of writers to dissect the root cause of Chelsea’s struggles: the extravagant spending on players, dubbed ‘billion-pound bottle jobs,’ or the managerial shortcomings that have failed to harness their potential.
According to John Cross, the blame is widespread, with accountability falling on all fronts. He criticizes Chelsea’s erratic recruitment strategy, characterized by exorbitant fees for underperforming players like Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. Cross also points fingers at the ownership, accusing them of destabilizing the club’s foundation laid by Roman Abramovich.
DONT MISS:Tonight, a Premier League English club has dismissed their manager following a humiliating defeat that resulted in the loss of a trophy.
Mike Walters adopts a satirical tone, likening Chelsea’s repeated Wembley disappointments to Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure at Tottenham, suggesting a recurrence of familiar shortcomings. He highlights Chelsea’s missed opportunities against a depleted Liverpool side and laments their inability to seize the moment, branding it as “Spursy” much to the dismay of fans.
Neil McLeman reflects on Chelsea’s performance under Pochettino in the Carabao Cup final, emphasizing their erratic nature. He juxtaposes their moments of brilliance against periods of capitulation, epitomizing the inconsistency that has plagued their season under the Argentine manager.