25 February 2024 , 18:50
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Before the second half of extra-time, Mauricio Pochettino called a huddle to end all huddles.
In fact, it was hardly a huddle, more a mass gathering, and the only surprise was that co-owner Todd Boehly had not found his way down to the field for the motivational meeting. Todd likes to get involved in those sorts of things. He will certainly be involved in more than a huddle or two over the next few days and weeks.
As much as they played their part in an entertaining Carabao Cup final and as fantastic as Liverpool’s inexperienced team performed, this defeat could eventually be filed as an embarrassment for such an expensively-assembled Chelsea operation. With Jurgen Klopp feeling compelled to bring on six substitutes who cost a combined total of £15million, Chelsea should have seized control.
The first three of four replacements used by Pochettino had a cumulative price tag of £175million. Three teenagers came from the Liverpool bench and the Klopp side that finished the game would have been barely recognisable to the average, non-red fan. And to some reds.
If ever there was a much-needed trophy to be won for Pochettino, this one was surely there for the taking. Instead, his words in the mega-huddle had zero effect and the way Chelsea allowed Klopp’s kids to dominate most of extra-time was something Boehly will want to investigate.
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And even if Chelsea did have their moments, this was a Liverpool victory that was thoroughly deserved and one that might have arrived in normal time were it not for some dubious officiating.
Pochettino’s pre-match ruse of reminding Chris Kavanagh and his coterie of officials that they would need to be even-handed was straight out of the Jose Mourinho playbook. It sounded a bit desperate but you could say that, to a certain extent, it worked.
Mauricio Pochettino is left to pick up the debris of Chelsea's embarrassing defeat (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)When Chelsea were denied what looked like a couple of stonewall penalties at Anfield at the end of last month, the Video Assistant Referee was John Brooks.
And he was on duty in Stockley Park for this match, ignoring Moises Caicedo treading violently on the ankle of Ryan Gravenberch, who was unable to get to his feet, leaving proceedings on a stretcher.
But if Liverpool and Klopp thought that was going to be Brooks’ and Kavanagh’s most controversial call, they were wrong. That one came when Virgil van Dijk produced a textbook header to convert Andy Robertson’s free-kick early in the second half.
Brooks then came into his own, a forensic examination of the crime scene showing Wataru Endo had got involved while in an offside position. Kavanagh was sent to the monitor to do the honours but moral justice was done when Van Dijk’s aerial brilliance got its rightful reward late in extra-time.
Pochettino's words to his players before extra time failed to work (Getty Images)A few minutes afterwards, there was obvious delirium amongst Klopp, his players, staff and fans, while, in contrast, Pochettino stood friendless in the technical area, a couple of his players pointing fingers at officials when they should have been pointing fingers at themselves.
When the dust settles on this missed opportunity, the finger-pointing from the ownership is unlikely to be in the direction of Pochettino. Not yet, anyway.
But this Liverpool victory was a testament to how Klopp instils passion and character into every single one of his players … passion and character missing from this Chelsea squad.
And huddles or not, that is something Pochettino simply has to change.
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