The 'billion-pound bottle jobs' tag risks sticking to Chelsea... but here's how they are trying to change it in 'firm but fair' culture, writes KIERAN GILL

Gary Neville was silent for more than a minute after Virgil van Dijk's extra-time header won Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool the Carabao Cup a year ago this Tuesday. And then it came to him - exactly what to say to capture Chelsea's wastage at Wembley.

'It's been Klopp's kids against the blue billion-pound bottle jobs,' he said live on Sky Sports.

Neville privately asked his producer afterwards if he had been too harsh with his jibe, and considered using his next day's podcast to backtrack. It was too late for that.

For all of Peter Drury's poetry, Neville's spontaneity and succinctness won description of the day. It was assassination by alliteration, a classic of the commentator genre, the newest hashtag for hire, and as Jamie Carragher said: 'That line is going to stick until they win something big.'

Don't Chelsea know it, too. They have heard it all in the year following bottle-gate, with no shortage of schadenfreude aimed at the billionaire boys in blue who supposedly cannot buy a win, let alone a trophy under the BlueCo ownership.

That mockery was never more brazen than when the Sky comedy show Fantasy Football League unveiled a sketch called 'Who Wants To Be A Blue Billionaire Bottle Job?' the week after their 1-0 loss to Liverpool.

It has been exactly a year since Chelsea were labelled the 'blue billion-pound bottle jobs'

The Blues were beaten in the Carabao Cup semi-final by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool last season

The infamous comment, made by pundit Gary Neville, continues to haunt them this campaign

Neville said what he said on the Sunday, and by Wednesday, the talent, design, costume and make-up teams were ready for their day's filming at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith.

Todd Boehly was the contestant, mimicked by Matt Lucas, and Neville was the presenter, played by Elis James. Boehly had already wasted £980million and had to get the final question correct for the confetti to fall as Neville asked: 'There's a 19-year-old Dutch winger who's not that good. How much do you spend on him? Is it…'

A: Get him on a free. B: Loan with option to buy. C: Nothing, you desperately need a striker. Or D: £135m. Boehly asked the audience. Big mistake. The response he received from a heckler was: 'Get out of my club, you w*****.'

I'm told that voice belonged to the Chelsea-supporting producer who you will be unsurprised to learn nailed it in one take.

Neville chimed in: 'Remember, you really don't need another winger and this one is proper s****.' You can see where this is going. Boehly chose D, of course, and it was correct, of course.

Chelsea never logged a complaint with Sky for their swipes because why bother? They were not the only ones having fun at their expense, far from it. It was a time when Chelsea were receiving more digs than Blackpool beach in summertime and apparently had as many donkeys.

A year on, the sands of time have not been kind as they still find themselves hoping their bravery in backing a youthful approach will work.

Chelsea's team has changed since last year's Carabao Cup sorrow. Yet the accusations that they are soft remain, and Saturday's trip to Aston Villa only added to the 'bottlers' narrative as a 1-0 lead became a 2-1 loss. The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge will risk turning toxic if they do not defeat Southampton on Tuesday night.

Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have splashed out over £1bn on new players since arriving

Despite a positive start to the season, Enzo Maresca is under pressure amid a dire run of form

Chelsea let a one-goal lead slip to lose 2-1 at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday

The way to stop being the butt of the jokes is to prove you are no longer a worthy punchline, and Chelsea are still working towards having the last laugh. They believe they can have it, starting by finishing in the top four and winning this season's Conference League.

Those targets are realistic, though Enzo Maresca is under pressure to prove his coaching credentials after arriving from Leicester in the summer. The 45-year-old has won just two of Chelsea's seven reverse fixtures played in the league this season, prompting some to wonder if opposition coaches are better at adapting their tactics than him. His pair of reverse victories came over Wolves and West Ham - two clubs who changed their managers in the intervening time.

Maresca has spent this season trying to create a 'firm but fair' culture at Cobham. One example cited to Mail Sport was what happened before their first league meeting with Villa at home in December.

Noni Madueke was not performing as he should in training, so Maresca told him privately and then the world, as he dropped the winger to the bench. The decision was justified as Chelsea won 3-0.

Madueke was injured for Saturday's 2-1 loss at Villa Park, and there is some disappointment that Tyrique George, the 19-year-old academy winger, received no minutes.

It added to the argument that Maresca is not the most proactive with his substitutions, his only unforced swap coming in the 76th minute when he replaced Christopher Nkunku with Jadon Sancho.

George is expected to feature against Southampton on Tuesday night, at least, after being promoted from the academy to the first team at Christmas alongside Josh Acheampong.

Maresca marked their moves up by delivering a speech to the squad that he will be watching to see who does not let George and Acheampong take this opportunity for granted.

Cole Palmer's body language has grown increasingly negative amid the disappointing run

There is some disappointment that Tyrique George, 19, received no minutes against Aston Villa

He ordered: 'You convince them that they have to defend that, and 'defend that' means every day working in the right way.' He finished his address with: 'Creating the right culture, it is important. Work, and welcome to both of you.'

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That culture is still being cultivated, and clearly there is growing up to do, including in Cole Palmer after his increasingly negative body language amid their season's slump.

Chelsea have a way to go if they are to force Neville to feel the same pain as Alan Hansen, who was never allowed to forget how he said Manchester United would win nothing with kids on Match of the Day in August 1995 after defeat by Villa.

The criticism does not go unnoticed inside Chelsea but unfortunately, it will stick around until they shake that 'blue billion-pound bottle jobs' tag once and for all.