Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino has hit back at former Manchester United defender Gary Neville for criticising his side after losing 1-0 to a depleted Liverpool team in the Carabao Cup final.

Neville labelled the Blues the “blue billion-pound bottle jobs” while covering the encounter as a pundit on Sky Sports.

The former player suggested that the London giants, who have spent over £1 billion ($1.5 billion) on signings since Toddy Boehly’s consortium took over the ownership in 2022, have been on the slump for the past two seasons.

In response, Pochettino described the criticism as “unfair” and “annoying”.

The gaffer told reporters on Tuesday: “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.

“For me the players have an amazing quality, they only need time. 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.”