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, discussing Slot being in a trial period to retain his position when 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, for 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 match that, but I just don't see that commanding presence in 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 questioned, Rooney attributed the squad's problems to personality issues. "Looking at Liverpool from last season to now, Salah and Van Dijk haven't reached their peak form," 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 added value. Liverpool have lost numerous players so it's essentially a reconstruction phase [for them]."

Salah's decline has been dramatic. The club's consistent leading scorer maintained a Premier League goal or assist 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 lost some pace" 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 fault 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 a make-or-break scenario for Slot. "I've conversed with managers, and I understand they can be challenging sometimes, but if he fails to secure them a top-five Premier League finish, he'll be dismissed, without doubt," 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 to 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 the same 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.