Wayne Rooney Unleashes Scathing Attack on Arne Slot and Three Liverpool Stars
Ex-Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has stated that Arne Slot lacks "the presence" required for a Liverpool manager position, while also targeting Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson with harsh words.
Considering his connections to United and childhood allegiance to Everton, it's hardly shocking that Rooney has enjoyed Liverpool's evident decline while defending their Premier League crown.
As a former coach himself, Rooney has frequently adopted a lenient approach toward Slot's touchline difficulties, with the ex-player being more inclined to criticize his struggling squad members. This perspective seems to have shifted.
"It's odd, isn't it, when discussing Slot being in a trial period to retain his position after he clearly just secured the Premier League," the 40-year-old reflected on this week's The Overlap.
"I've encountered him several times, but I simply don't believe, regarding Liverpool, he possesses that presence—and perhaps that's due to Liverpool just finishing with Jürgen Klopp as their manager—it's challenging for anyone to achieve that, but I just don't sense that commanding presence around him."
Slot wasn't the sole individual on Merseyside who faced criticism from the devoted Evertonian.
'Lost a Yard or Two'
'Lost a Yard or Two'
While Slot's leadership has been challenged, Rooney attributed the squad's problems to personality issues. "When examining Liverpool from last season until now, Salah and Van Dijk haven't performed at their peak," Rooney expressed concern. "Then there's Trent [Alexander-Arnold] who's absent, Robertson hasn't featured in many matches, Luis Díaz [departed] and the [Diogo] Jota circumstances.
"Even Darwin Núñez contributed something, he wasn't exceptional, but he offered value. Liverpool have lost numerous players so it's essentially a reconstruction phase [for them]."
Salah's regression has been dramatic. The club's consistent leading scorer maintained a Premier League goal or assist average every 72 minutes last campaign. This season—when Slot has been prepared to overlook his defensive shortcomings—Salah's rate has dropped to one every 154 minutes.
Rooney's evaluation of Van Dijk, whose standards haven't been helped by a demanding fixture list and insufficient recovery time at 34 years old, received backing from former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher: "Van Dijk isn't quite the identical player from last season either."
While Van Dijk and Salah "might have declined slightly" according to Rooney, Manchester United's record goalscorer emphasized that one poor campaign "shouldn't diminish" their overall achievements.
"In my view, Salah ranks among the Premier League's all-time greats, and Van Dijk deserves consideration as one of the finest," Rooney declared. "I don't believe he's the greatest ever, but in this era, he's definitely the top center-back, so you can't criticize those two players."
Rooney's Prediction for Arne Slot Sacking
Rooney's Prediction for Arne Slot Sacking
Rooney was certain that Champions League qualification represents make-or-break territory for Slot. "I've discussed with managers, and I understand they face challenges, but if he fails to secure top five in the Premier League, he'll be dismissed, without question," he cautioned. "It's absurd to mention when he's just captured the Premier League."
Slot holds a contrasting view. After dropping below both Manchester United and Chelsea into sixth position, the resolute Liverpool manager maintained that he'll remain secure since Jürgen Klopp missed Champions League qualification yet kept his role. "The only certainty I have is that it occurred previously, and recently, and it didn't impact that manager's future," he responded dismissively.
This position presumes that Slot has accumulated equivalent goodwill as Klopp, who had secured the Champions League, Premier League and received Liverpool's freedom of the city honor before guiding the Reds to fifth place in 2022–23.