Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said his team “need to feel the pain” after losing to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk scored the winning goal for the Reds with two minutes remaining in extra time.
“They need to feel the pain,” Pochettino said.
“We've been playing for trophies that we didn't get. It's the same now. What can I say to make you feel better? Nothing.”
Chelsea will feel they missed out on a huge chance to win silver against Liverpool, who don't have Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez or Trent Alexander-Arnold injured.
The Blues had several clear chances during the match but Cole Palmer was thwarted by great saves from Caoich Kelleher, who then had a good opportunity for Conor Gallagher to hit the post but Kelleher saved.
As the game drew to a close in regular time, Christopher Nkunku, Gallagher and Maro Gusto were also involved in Liverpool's box, and Chelsea were somehow unable to take the lead.
A run of six consecutive Wembley final defeats (three of which were against Liverpool) means Pochettino is still searching for his first trophy in England.
“We are very competitive and now we need to move forward,” he added.
“They are [the players] They need to feel pain just like we do. They need to understand that we need to work harder and do better. We need to improve and compete at this level against a team that has been competing for big things for the past five, six, seven years.
“First you come here and then you feel what it means to play for big trophies. I remember three or four years later we lost in the Champions League and then we lost in the Europa League.”
“They will continue to believe in this project and keep moving forward until they get what they want and will be even stronger next season.
“That's a good example, Liverpool. We want to challenge a team like Liverpool. We don't need to get frustrated because we didn't win the trophy today. We need to keep believing because that's the most important thing. ”
Chelsea finished the 90 minutes in an advantage over Liverpool but appeared to be slacking off in extra time.
Gary Neville Regarding Sky Sports coverage of this match, Chelsea said their chances of winning a trophy had been “sealed” as Liverpool were without a number of key players and brought in a number of academy graduates.
Pochettino added: “If you compare the ages of these two groups, I think they are similar. I have a good relationship with Gary. I don't know how to take this opinion, but I… I respect his opinion,” he added.
“We made a few changes in extra time, including Gallagher and Chilwell, and it’s true that we couldn’t keep up the energy and finished the second half.
“I don't know how to explain this situation. I'm proud of the players. I think they worked hard.
“We are a young team and there is nothing to compare us to Liverpool because they too have some young players and it is impossible to compare.
“he [Neville] You can see that the dynamics are completely different. I don't think it's fair to talk like this. We will continue to believe in this project and think about what we can do in the future. ”
analysis
It was a huge blow for Pochettino in a match that could have been a key moment in his Chelsea project.
Not only is he still chasing his first trophy in English football, but the rest of this season will come under increasing scrutiny if he fails to lift the EFL Cup.
Chelsea had a chance to win this game, but the question will be how Pochettino's side fought back in extra time.
Pochettino has been under pressure at times throughout the season, but trophies and the possibility of European football have always been pointed to as indicators of how things are going.
Chelsea lost in the final and their only chance of winning silver this season is in the FA Cup, when they face Leeds United at Stamford Bridge just three days later.
Pochettino will face the challenge of assembling a young squad to avoid a complete collapse of the campaign within a week.
Chelsea are nine points from sixth in the Premier League table and 17 points from Champions League qualification, with winning the FA Cup currently one of their most realistic chances of qualifying for European football.
