Gary Neville, a renowned football pundit and Manchester United legend, has recently expressed regret over his controversial comment about Chelsea following their defeat in the Carabao Cup final. Known for his candid and often brutal analysis, Neville had labeled Chelsea as "billion dollar bottle jobs," a remark that has since sparked considerable debate among sports fans and pundits alike.
The Blues were defeated by Liverpool at Wembley Stadium 12 months ago. This victory marked Jurgen Klopp's final trophy as the Reds' boss. Despite having invested heavily in their squad during the summer transfer window, Chelsea was unable to secure a win against Liverpool's youthful side.
High-stakes match
On that fateful afternoon in late February, both teams went into extra-time with high hopes of clinching the title. Chelsea boasted British-record transfers in their starting XI including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Raheem Sterling. However, they fell short of securing victory.
In contrast to Chelsea's star-studded lineup was Liverpool’s young team featuring Conor Bradley, James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Jayden Danns. It was Virgil van Dijk’s decisive header that ultimately won the game for Liverpool.
Neville’s regretful retrospect
Neville took aim at the losing finalists with his infamous line - an action he now regrets. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast he admitted considering backtracking on his comment but was further frustrated by an admission from within the Chelsea camp; they were aiming for penalties but fell two minutes short.
Gary Neville, Manchester United legend, said:
"I wish I had not said 'billion-dollar bottle jobs'. They're harsh lines that stain a group of players or a manager. David Luiz has never got rid of that. It's a cheap shot really. It's that line of humour meets cheap shot."
"I was actually going to do a roll back on my podcast, the day after, and say that I shouldn't have probably used that word 'bottle,' but when I heard that Mauricio thought the team were playing for penalties, I thought that it was the epitome of freezing."
This loss marked one of Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea's closest attempts at landing a trophy before parting ways at season end. Despite significant financial investment from its owners into player recruitment - perceived as giving them a hefty advantage - this strategy has yet to yield any silverware for Chelsea. The Carabao Cup final remains a sore point, seen as a huge missed opportunity.
