In May 1988 Mauricio Pochettino was a 16-year-old youth-team player at Newell's Old Boys in Argentina and Michael Carrick, although still only six, had been kicking footballs at Wallsend Boys Club for two years. Fast forward and the pair are preparing for technical-area tactical combat at Stamford Bridge, where Pochettino's Chelsea will kick off Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg trailing Carrick's Middlesbrough 1-0. Much may hinge on whether the visiting right-winger Isaiah Jones passes a late test on a strained hamstring and is able to attempt to reprise his man-of-the-match performance at the Riverside two weeks ago.
Yet despite a stellar performance on Nevin's part and a goal from Durie, a Boro team including Gary Pallister, Tony Mowbray, Colin Cooper, Bernie Slaven and Stuart Ripley clung on to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory.
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