Chelsea Manager, Mauricio Pochettino has responded to Gary Neville’s critical remarks about Chelsea’s performance in the Carabao Cup final, asserting that while he respects Neville’s opinion, he believes the criticism was unjustified.

Neville expressed disappointment with Chelsea’s display in extra time, labeling Pochettino’s team as “blue billion-pound bottlejobs” following Virgil van Dijk’s late winner. 

“In extra-time it’s been Klopp’s kids against the blue, billion-pound bottlejobs,” he said

Pochettino acknowledged Neville’s comments but defended his team’s effort, pointing out that both sides fielded young players.

“I have a good relationship with Gary. I can respect his opinion,” Pochettino remarked. “We made a few changes, like Gallagher and Chilwell in extra-time. But it’s true, we didn’t keep the energy how we finished the second-half.”

Pochettino highlighted Chelsea’s strong performance in the initial 90 minutes and praised his team’s effort despite their eventual defeat. 

He explained that fatigue and tactical considerations influenced his substitutions during extra time, emphasizing the team’s belief in their project and commitment to improvement.

“We were so close to winning the game after 90 minutes. They started to lose their energy. Chilly felt really, really tired. Gallagher, after five minutes, we needed to change,” Pochettino explained. 

“The team felt maybe the penalties would be good for us. The effort was massive. I am happy with the effort. It’s about keeping believing in that. We didn’t get the reward we wanted.”