Wayne Rooney has urged Arne Slot to consider dropping Mohamed Salah to rejuvenate Liverpool‘s performance.
Following a 3-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, the reigning champions find themselves in 11th place in the Premier League standings, trailing 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Salah did not contribute a goal or an assist in the defeat, which marked Liverpool’s sixth loss in their last seven Premier League matches.
After Saturday’s game and a previous defeat against Manchester City, Liverpool has conceded a total of six unanswered goals over the last two league fixtures.
“Salah isn’t contributing defensively,” Rooney remarked on The Wayne Rooney Show.
“If you’re one of the players on the bench watching your teammate not putting in the effort while he’s starting every match, what message does that send?” Rooney continued. “I understand his legendary status at the club, but I’d make a bold call to impact the rest of the team.”
“When you’re struggling to secure wins, maintaining a compact and hard-to-beat formation is vital. I believe Slot needs to make a decisive change to help solidify the team dynamics. Once they start achieving victories again, he can reintegrate Salah into the lineup with the hope that he becomes more committed defensively.”
“This decision would definitely have a positive impact on the team.”
Rooney didn’t reserve his criticism just for Salah, pointing out several senior players who haven’t lived up to expectations.
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“Overall, performances have been lacking across the board and it’s not just down to Van Dijk or Salah,” Rooney stated. “The experienced players like Mac Allister, who’s been around for a while, and Gravenberch, who showed promise last year, need to step up, rally the team, and help create a winning environment.”
Rooney also referred to the impact of Diogo Jota‘s recent passing as a potential factor in Liverpool’s struggles.
“It’s clearly been a difficult period for them,” he reflected. “The tragic incident involving Jota probably weighs on the players. They train alongside him daily, and such events undoubtedly affect the team’s morale.”