Former Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney made fiery comments against Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, stating that the Egyptian international is not providing the required defensive support, which is harming his team at the present time.
Rooney, in an interview with ESPN, said that Liverpool manager Arne Slot should seriously consider benching Mohamed Salah for a while. "Salah isn't helping the team defensively," he added. "I understand Salah is a legend at the club, and everything he's done previously counts in his favor, and I wonder if Salah himself were sitting on the bench, what message would he send if he saw one of his key teammates not putting in the defensive effort?"
Rooney continued: "If I were in manager Slot's position, I would make a decisive decision that affects the team as a whole, because when you're not winning, you need the team to be tight and hard to beat. Salah can be brought back later once defensive discipline is restored."
Rooney also pointed out that the problem isn't just with Salah, saying: "The team hasn't been good at all, and the problem isn't just with Van Dijk or Salah alone."
Rooney's comments come after Liverpool's heavy defeat to Nottingham Forest (0-3), two weeks after a loss to Manchester City by the same score, continuing the team's crisis in the Premier League.
Liverpool is set to face PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday in the Champions League, before hosting West Ham on Sunday in the 13th round of the Premier League, amid questions about Slot's ability to restore balance to the team and get his Egyptian star back to the required defensive standard.
