Chelsea’s head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, has fired back at Gary Neville, the former Manchester United defender turned pundit, following criticisms of his team’s performance in the Carabao Cup final loss against a weakened Liverpool side.

During his punditry on Sky Sports, Neville labeled Chelsea as the “blue billion-pound bottle jobs,” pointing out their significant expenditure since the ownership change in 2022, under Toddy Boehly’s consortium.

He suggested that despite their massive spending, Chelsea has experienced a decline over the past couple of seasons.

In response, Pochettino deemed Neville’s critique as “unfair” and “annoying,” expressing his frustration with the constant focus on the club’s financial investment.

Speaking to reporters, Pochettino stated, “The problem is so annoying when after eight months always people talk about one billion. I feel that’s a little bit unfair.

The new owners arrived with the right intention, and they want to build something that is different from the past.”He defended his players, emphasizing their quality and the need for time to gel as a team.

Pochettino reiterated that the club’s performance should not solely be attributed to him, stating, “It’s not an excuse for me because if I am here or not, it’s not dependent on me. I think we are doing an amazing job.”