Rooney urges Slot to drop Salah amid Liverpool’s struggles

Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has questioned Mohamed Salah’s place in Liverpool’s starting lineup, suggesting manager Arne Slot may need to make a bold decision to jolt his struggling side back into form, Sport360NG reports.

Speaking on his podcast, and as reported by Sky Sport on Monday, Rooney pointed to Liverpool’s 3–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend as the latest example of Salah falling short of his usual influence. Despite scoring five goals this season, the Egyptian has now gone several matches without a goal contribution.

“If I were Slot, I’d try to make a big decision just to have an impact on the rest of the team,” Rooney said. “Salah is not helping them defensively. If you’re a new signing sitting on the bench watching him not run, and he’s a club legend, no doubt, what message does that send?”

Salah, 33, made Premier League history last season by finishing with the most goals and assists while also being named Player of the Season. His outstanding campaign aligned with a triumphant first year for Slot, who steered Liverpool to the title after replacing Jürgen Klopp.

However, despite significant summer investment, including the high-profile arrivals of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak for a combined £241m, Liverpool have failed to rediscover last season’s form. Slot’s side currently sit 11th in the Premier League with 18 points from 12 matches.

Rooney also pointed to the psychological impact of the tragic death of teammate Diogo Jota, noting that such an event could weigh heavily on the squad. Even so, he argued that it cannot excuse a lack of intensity.

“They’re going through a hard time,” he said. “You’ve got to consider the effect of what sadly happened to Jota, because that has to impact his teammates. But there’s still no excuse for not fighting and not tackling.”

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