Liverpool legend Carragher's recent doubts about Chelsea's prospects for the Champions League in the new season will probably anger Blues fans again. Carragher's many controversial remarks in recent years have long aroused dissatisfactio...
Liverpool legend Carragher's recent doubts about Chelsea's prospects for the Champions League in the new season will probably anger Blues fans again.
Carragher's many controversial remarks in recent years have long aroused dissatisfaction among the Blues fans. Last week, he suspected that he downplayed the value of the Chelsea Club World Cup championship and said that Maresca's team is still far away from the Premier League championship, which even made some fans accuse him of having ulterior motives against the club.
In the latest Stick to Football podcast, Gary Neville teased Carragher's grudges with the Blues and invited him to make a spicy prediction for the new season. Carragher responded to this: "The spicy view on Chelsea is that I don't think they can qualify from the Champions League group stage."
These remarks shocked the guests present collectively, and women's football legend Jill Scott exclaimed: "Wow, this is really spicy."
Although Chelsea returned to the Champions League after two years as the fourth place last season, Carragher still expressed his belief that the Blues can lock in the top four in the Premier League in the second half of the show. Last week's controversy stems from his comments on the Blues Club World Cup winning: "When I look at Chelsea, I think of the Club World Cup they won, which is a honor that top giants such as Real Madrid, Paris, and Manchester City have always dreamed of. This can indeed help Maresca establish a connection with fans, but I don't think it can shorten the distance with the Premier League champion."
He further explained: "Chelsea's signings in the past two years are like revolving doors, just replacing players at the same level. Signing Gittens this summer to let Maduaike go is a typical example, and there is no improvement in strength at all. The phenomenon exists in many positions in Chelsea. "
Faced with the whistle of criticism, Carragher defended himself on social media, saying: "I am not deliberately belittle Chelsea, but just insisting on the objective view that has not changed in the past 12 months. The existing goalkeeper and central defender configuration cannot compete for the championship, not to mention that the rotation space will be limited in the Champions League, and the rotation advantage in the Europa League last season no longer exists."
This is not the first time Carragher bombarded the Blues. In 2023, he accused the Burleigh consortium of "making the club a mess" and questioned its transfer strategy last summer window. According to statistics, Chelsea signed 50 players in three years of Burleigh's entry, spending 1.5 billion pounds. Carragher bluntly stated in the "Monday Football Night" program: "Chelsea must stop buying people crazy, and players should not choose here. Unless the agent tells you 'can sign a seven-year long contract to lock in income'. Do you want me to say? A truly confident player should choose a four-year contract. After proving himself in a regular club, he will naturally receive a salary increase and renew his contract. I can't understand the logic of these seven-year long contracts."
