Chelsea's 'billion-pound bottle-jobs' hit rock bottom in Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool's B team - this could be the beginning of the end for floundering Mauricio Pochettino

It must be noted that the average age of Chelsea's starting XI at Wembley was under 24, younger than Liverpool's, and Pochettino pointed to that fact when asked to respond to Neville's brutal line. “I don’t hear what he said but if you compare the age of the two groups, I think it is similar,” said the Chelsea boss “Look, I have a good relationship with Gary. I don’t know how I can take his opinion, but I respect his opinion. We are a young team. Nothing to compare with Liverpool because they also finished with young players. It’s impossible to compare, and he knows that the dynamics are completely different. I don’t think it’s fair to speak in this way.”

Chelsea did, however, hold a major advantage in the experience stakes. Ben Chilwell played a key role in the Blues' run to Champions League glory three years ago, Enzo Fernandez won the World Cup alongside Lionel Messi at Qatar 2022, and Raheem Sterling lifted 10 trophies during his time at Manchester City - including five League Cups.

Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Axel Disasi also started the game as Pochettino was able to call on the majority of his heavy-hitters. And yet Chelsea still blew a golden opportunity for silverware that would have helped to paper over the cracks of what has otherwise been another nightmare campaign.

Liverpool had also won their previous three final meetings with Chelsea, in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup and the 2022 Carabao Cup and FA Cup, but any mental block should have been removed when Klopp's lineup was released. The German tactician managed to mastermind another famous victory despite fielding a significantly weakened team, and as a consequence, Pochettino's reputation has been left in ruins.

Chelsea didn't struggle with creating clear scoring chances at Wembley, and Liverpool had backup goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher to thank for keeping them at bay. The 25-year-old produced a repeat of his stellar 2022 final showing with a pair of brilliant saves to deny Palmer and Conor Gallagher, and exuded calmness to the rest of the Liverpool defence throughout the gruelling 120-minute contest.

But Pochettino's side only really played in bursts. Despite having a whole week to prepare for the game, compared to a three-day turnaround for Liverpool, fatigue eventually proved to be Chelsea's undoing.

The Reds forced the issue in extra-time while the Blues retreated, and incredibly, Pochettino admitted they were holding out for penalties when speaking to the media after the game. "The players started to lose their energy," he said. "[Ben Chilwell] Chilly felt really, really tired. [Conor] Gallagher, after five minutes, we needed to change. The team felt maybe penalties would be good for us. The effort was massive."

With that kind of mentality, it's easy to see why Pochettino has always been a nearly-man.

Pochettino solidified a standing among Europe's elite coaches during his five-year stint at Tottenham, transforming the club into title contenders after being poached from Southampton. He created a formidable, attack-minded team that earned plenty of admirers, but tangible success proved elusive, as he oversaw defeats in the 2015 League Cup and 2019 Champions League finals alongside a runners' up finish in the Premier League.

He also came up short at Paris Saint-Germain, failing to deliver a customary Ligue 1 title in his first season or oversee genuine progress in the Champions League, despite the presence of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar upfront. Pochettino is not a serial winner in the same mould as Klopp, or a large number of the coaches that have come before him at Chelsea.

Whatever happens between now and May, Klopp will depart Anfield as a modern-day legend - a true leader of men who has exceeded all expectations during his nine-year reign with Liverpool. He's also lost his fair share of finals, but Liverpool always bounce back because he's created 'mentality monsters' across all levels of the club, and that's exactly the kind of manager Chelsea need if they are to get back to the same level.

Pochettino is working with the most expensive squad in the history of the game, but his team are lacking something money can't buy: a clear identity and collective spirit. The 51-year-old has had nine months to affect change at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea are going nowhere right now, and something has to give.

It certainly doesn't seem like the players have bought into Pochettino's methods at Chelsea, with a nervous energy coursing through their veins during the Wembley showpiece. Fernandez constantly misplaced simple passes, Malo Gusto's first-touch deserted him, and Disasi invited pressure with his clumsiness on the ball.

The Blues also showed zero composure in front of goal, with Gallagher squandering the best of their chances, and although they were unfortunate to see a first-half goal from Raheem Sterling ruled out offside, it always felt like Liverpool carried the greater threat.

It was certainly an improved performance from Chelsea when compared to their dismal display in a 4-1 Premier League defeat at Anfield last month, but again, they were up against a depleted Liverpool this time around.

Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf said Pochettino's squad is brimming with "mid-table players" after the defeat on Merseyside, and it looked that way again in the cup final. Despite spending over £1.4 billion across the last four transfer windows, the Blues have endured their worst period since the pre-Roman Ambramovich era, and more drastic changes will be necessary to turn the tide.

A ruthless clear-out of flop signings in the summer would be the ideal place to start, even if their lucrative long-term contracts have to be ripped up. It's already plainly obvious that some of the star names in Pochettino's squad do not have what it takes to succeed in the Premier League.

Mykhailo Mudryk stands out as the biggest waste of money, with the £89m ($113m) winger unable to make any sort of impact in his latest cameo showing against Liverpool. Van Dijk was also able to easily outjump Mudryk to score the only goal of the game, which added even more credibility to former Premier League star Jamie O’Hara's recent claim that the Ukranian isn't even worth "seven quid".

Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson doesn't look anywhere near capable of breaking Chelsea's No.9 curse. The former Villarreal man works hard and holds the ball up well enough, but he's technically poor and has yet to show any real predatory instincts.

Then there's the Blues' club-record signing Caicedo, who has looked a shadow of the fierce, gifted all-rounder he was at Brighton. The 22-year-old has been dealing with some troubling off-field issues over the past few months, but he has struggled with the step up to a bigger club, and it seems unlikely that he will ever justify his insane £115m ($146m) fee.

It's been a similar story for the likes of Romeo Lavia, Noni Madeuke, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella, and Chelsea will have to cut their losses on certain players if they want to embark on another recruitment drive, having already pushed Financial Fair Play boundaries to the limit.

Whether or not Pochettino is still in the Stamford Bridge dugout when the summer window opens will depend on how Chelsea react to their latest setback. They are set to return to action on Wednesday against Leeds in the FA Cup - which represents their only remaining route to silverware - with a tough trip to Brentford in the Premier League scheduled just four days later.

The Blues are currently languishing down in 11th in the table, 17 points adrift of the Champions League places. Pochettino will surely become the third managerial casualty of the Boehly regime if Chelsea finish in the bottom half for the second successive year.

Even an unlikely FA Cup triumph and top-seven finish might not be enough for the former Tottenham boss to save his job, given how quickly the optimism surrounding his initial appointment has given way to hopelessness.

Only a rapid reversal in fortunes will save Pochettino, and he issued a strong rallying cry to his players after the final loss. "We need to move forward. We played for a trophy we didn't get. They need to feel the pain like us," he said. "They need to realise that we need to work more, do better things. We need to improve and compete in this level. I remember after three to four years they [Liverpool] lose the Champions League, they lose the Europa League. They keep believing and moving in the project and in the next season they are stronger until they get what they wanted. That is a good example, Liverpool."

What Pochettino fails to acknowledge, is that Klopp started changing Liverpool's style of play and the mood around the club immediately after his arrival in 2015. Chelsea fans have just got more used to pain on his watch.