Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has publicly criticised Mohamed Salah amid Liverpool’s recent struggles, suggesting that manager Arne Slot might consider leaving the Egyptian forward out of the starting lineup.
Rooney made the comments on his podcast following Liverpool’s 3–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, a match in which Salah, despite scoring five times this season, failed to register a goal or assist.
“If I were Slot, I’d try and make a big decision just so it has an impact on the rest of the team,” Rooney said. “Salah is not helping them defensively. If you’re one of the players who they’ve signed and you’re on the bench and you’ve seen him not running – and again he’s a club legend and everything he’s done for the club – but if you’re on the bench, then what message does that send to you?”
The 33-year-old forward became the first player in Premier League history to finish a season with the most goals and assists while also winning the Player of the Season award last term. His dazzling form helped Arne Slot guide Liverpool to the title after taking over from Jurgen Klopp.
However, following a busy summer transfer window that saw the arrivals of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak for a combined £241m, Liverpool have struggled. The Reds currently sit 11th in the Premier League table with 18 points from 12 games.
Rooney also highlighted the impact of injuries on the squad, particularly the loss of Diogo Jota, while emphasising that players must still fight and defend effectively. “They’re going through a hard time, aren’t they? You’ve probably got to look at the effect of what sadly happened to Jota. What effect does that have on the players, because that’s his teammates? That surely has to have an effect. But then there’s no excuse for not fighting and not tackling,” he added.
