Wayne Rooney has issued a stark warning to Liverpool, suggesting the club could be on the brink of a decline similar to the one suffered by their arch-rivals, Manchester United. The caution comes after Arne Slot's side suffered a dismal 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday.
A Cautionary Tale from a Rival
The English champions were unable to reverse their fortunes after the international break, recording their eighth defeat in 11 Premier League games. The loss was particularly humbling given Forest's historic struggles at Anfield; they had not won back-to-back at the ground since 1963. Despite conceding in the first half, Liverpool were powerless to harness the support of their home fans and fell further behind as the match progressed.
Appearing on BBC's Match of the Day, the Manchester United legend dissected Liverpool's performance and pinpointed a worrying trend. Rooney stressed that the club's leaders must stand tall during this challenging period to avoid following in the footsteps of his former club.
Leadership and Defensive Frailty Under Scrutiny
'Liverpool are a very good team and they're going through a very difficult moment,' Rooney stated. 'They've been going through a tough time all season really. Even at the beginning of the season, they won games, but they were struggling with performance.'
He emphasised the responsibility falling on the senior players in the dressing room. 'Throughout the season, it's those leaders in that dressing room that have to pick the players up because if not then, we've seen over the last few years with Manchester United and last season with Tottenham, they can slip down the table.'
Rooney also identified the team's defensive shape as a critical area for improvement under Slot. 'Easiest thing to do when you're struggling is get back in shape, get compact and Liverpool are very open at the minute and easy to play against,' he added.
Echoes of United's Torrid Season
The comparison to Manchester United is a poignant one. Rooney's former side endured a torrid 2024-25 campaign, finishing a woeful 15th in the Premier League and missing out on European football after a Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. While new manager Ruben Amorim has since steadied the ship, last season served as a stark reminder of how quickly a top club can falter.
For his part, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk acknowledged the severity of the situation after the Forest defeat, labelling recent performances as 'unacceptable'. ‘You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that's just a fact,' the Netherlands international said. 'As the champions we can't be in the situation we are in right now but it's a fact.'
This is not the first time Rooney has criticised Liverpool's leadership this season, having previously singled out Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah for their negative body language following a loss to Brentford. The pressure is now firmly on Slot and his senior players to halt the slide and prove their rivals wrong.
