Life must be very confusing right now if you're a Chelsea exec.
You've spent $1bn buying kids and found yourself ridiculed for it and then you go and lose 1-0 in the Carabao Cup final to a load of Liverpool's kids and somehow everybody's praising them for it.
Yet even by the end of extra time, by which point Liverpool seemed to have raided the club creche in search of bodies to chuck into the fray, the XI Chelsea had on the pitch had a combined age 16 years lower than that of Jürgen Klopp's. It was Liverpool, though, who were hailed for believing in youth, while Chelsea were derided as bottlers who had wasted a great opportunity.
But that's the difference between exigency and what might loosely be described as the plan. Klopp was rightly praised for having faith in his young players - the 19-yearold midfielder James McConnell in particular stood out for his presence and composure on the ball - but he was using them only because of injuries.
Denne historien er fra February 27, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra February 27, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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