Wayne Rooney Slams Mohamed Salah as Former Teammate Fires Back in Heated Defense
Wayne Rooney delivered harsh criticism regarding Mohamed Salah's controversial statements attacking Liverpool and manager Arne Slot over the weekend. In contrast, Salah's former Chelsea colleague John Terry offered a completely different perspective.
Salah anticipated the negative reaction when he expressed his frustration in Elland Road's mixed zone on Saturday evening, after being benched for the third consecutive Premier League match. "Tomorrow [Jamie] Carragher will criticize me repeatedly and that's okay," he remarked dismissively.
The former Liverpool defender has stayed unusually silent following Salah's inflammatory interview. The same restraint hasn't been shown by other retired professionals from his era.
Multiple Liverpool-supporting pundits condemned Salah's tirade, which essentially portrayed the 33-year-old as an unfairly blamed victim during the club's poor performance streak. Last season's Player of the Year insisted on "respect" for his previous achievements. "I shouldn't have to constantly fight for my spot because I've already earned it," he declared.
Rooney particularly objected to this statement.
"Having the audacity to claim he doesn't need to earn his position because he's already proven himself - you must perform at your peak every week to maintain your place in the squad," he fumed on his podcast. "If I were his teammate, I'd be extremely unhappy with his remarks because this is when Liverpool needs him most.
"If anything, he has betrayed Liverpool with his statements."
The former Derby County and Birmingham City boss suggested that Slot should bench Salah for Liverpool's Champions League encounter with Inter as consequences for his remarks. "Arne Slot must demonstrate his leadership and confront him saying, 'You won't be traveling with the squad, your comments are unacceptable.'"
Beyond his immediate prospects, Rooney worried that Salah's entire eight-and-a-half-year legacy had been damaged. "He is completely ruining his reputation at Liverpool," Manchester United's record goalscorer lamented. "I'm certain he'll regret these words in the coming years."
John Terry Backs Salah
Instead of joining the criticism, Terry supported Salah. The former Chelsea captain had limited interaction with the Egyptian winger during his inconsistent period in west London—Terry has actually defended the club's choice to release Salah as he "wasn't prepared for the squad."
However, the former England captain acknowledged the case that he has been treated unfairly by Liverpool. "I believe he'd be first to admit he's been struggling this season, but I must agree with his position as well. I feel he's been somewhat scapegoated. I think many Liverpool players, himself included, have underperformed lately," Terry shared on his TikTok platform.
Salah alleged that he has been "betrayed" by Liverpool and maintained that "someone wanted me to bear all responsibility." The right winger has experienced a significant decline in attacking production this season which has, consequently, highlighted his limited defensive contributions unfavorably.
The claim that Salah has secured permanent team selection doesn't withstand close examination but he—and Terry—have valid grounds in noting that other players have also faltered. Nevertheless, Salah is the sole player to feature in both of Liverpool's costly home losses to Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven before being omitted for the following three fixtures.
Terry questioned the decision to drop Salah entirely: "And to exclude him—I'm being serious, if there's one player who can secure victory, it would be him, so it's a significant decision by the manager." Still, if Slot felt compelled to bench his key player, the Chelsea legend criticized the insufficient communication provided to Salah.
"Additionally, when you maintain his support, when you bring veteran players into the office and explain why they're being excluded, you have no alternative but showing that respect from the manager is crucial," Terry observed.