Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has made a controversial recommendation to Liverpool manager Arne Slot, suggesting he should drop club legend Mohamed Salah to address the team's alarming decline.
Liverpool's Alarming Slide Continues
The Reds are experiencing their worst run of form in recent memory, suffering their eighth defeat in just 11 matches across all competitions. The crisis deepened this weekend when Nottingham Forest delivered a stunning 3-0 thrashing at Anfield, marking the third time in five games that Liverpool have lost by a three-goal margin.
Despite significant investment in the squad, including the £446 million spent on new signings Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, Slot's team appears to be regressing rather than improving.
Salah's Dramatic Form Drop
The most concerning individual decline has come from Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah. After an extraordinary 2024-25 campaign where he netted 57 goals in 52 appearances, his productivity has plummeted to just five goals in 17 games this season.
The 33-year-old has looked ineffective in attack, while opposition teams have specifically targeted his defensive vulnerabilities. Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella openly admitted that the Blues deliberately attacked Liverpool's right flank during their 2-1 victory last month.
'We tried to attack down his side always because we know Salah is always ready to attack, to play on the counter-attack,' Cucurella revealed after the match. 'We know, we practice, and the coach tells us the space may be there.'
Rooney's Radical Solution
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the Manchester United legend didn't hold back in his assessment of what Slot needs to do to reverse Liverpool's fortunes.
'If I were Slot, I would try to make a big decision that would impact the rest of the team,' Rooney stated. 'Salah isn't helping them defensively. If you're one of the players 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 you?'
Rooney also identified another factor potentially affecting the squad, referencing 'the effect of what sadly happened to Jota' and how that might be impacting his teammates.
The former England captain urged Liverpool fans to stop comparing Slot to legendary former manager Jürgen Klopp, drawing parallels with his own experiences at Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson's departure.
'The big thing is that when you have a run of results like this, Klopp's name keeps coming up,' Rooney observed. 'It's a bit like the presence with Sir Alex Ferguson. For example, when David Moyes arrived and Van Gaal, Fergie's name always came up. With Slot, Klopp is always mentioned. But I think Liverpool fans just need to move away from that and get behind him.'
Liverpool currently sit in 11th position in the Premier League following Saturday's defeat and return to action on Wednesday when they host PSV in the Champions League, with mounting pressure on both manager and players to turn their season around.
