Mohamed Salah: Why Manchester United Legend Wants Liverpool Cult Hero Dropped

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has urged Liverpool manager Arne Slot to make a bold statement by dropping star forward Mohamed Salah amid the team's recent struggles.

Liverpool's poor run of form was highlighted by a humbling 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, marking their eighth loss in the last 11 matches across all competitions. It was also the third time in five games that the Reds have been defeated by a three-goal margin.

Despite a summer transfer outlay of £446 million on players like Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike, Slot's squad appears to be a shadow of the side that won the title last season. Several key players are underperforming, with Salah's dip in form being particularly noticeable.

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After a sensational 2024-25 campaign where he tallied 57 goal contributions in 52 games, the 33-year-old Egyptian has managed just five goals in 17 appearances this term. His ineffectiveness in attack has been compounded by opponents exploiting his perceived defensive frailties.

Speaking on "The Wayne Rooney Show," Rooney argued that it is time for Slot to take decisive action to reverse the team's fortunes.

"If I were Slot, I'd try to make a big decision just so it has an impact on the rest of the team," Rooney stated as per Dailymail. "Salah is not helping them defensively. If you're one of the players they've signed and you're on the bench and you've seen him not running—and again he's a club legend and everything he's done for the club—but if you're on the bench, then what message does that send to you?"

Salah's defensive work rate has been a talking point, with Chelsea's Marc Cucurella admitting his team targeted Liverpool's right flank during their 2-1 victory last month.

"We tried to attack on their right side always because we know that Salah is always ready to attack, to play the counter-attack," Cucurella explained after the match. "We know that, we practice and the manager tells us that the space is maybe there."

When asked if this was a known weakness, Cucurella confirmed: "Yeah, I think they play one style of game that Salah is always ready to attack, so we prepare for that. Today it worked, and we were able to win the game in this way."

Rooney also addressed the broader issues facing Slot and called on Liverpool supporters to stop making comparisons to his celebrated predecessor, Jurgen Klopp.

"They're going through a hard time, aren't they?" Rooney added. "You've probably got to look at the effect of what sadly happened to Jota. What effect does that have on the players, because that's his teammate? That surely has to have an effect. But then there's no excuse for not fighting and not tackling."

He drew a parallel to the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United, noting the constant pressure new managers face.

"The big thing is when he has a run of results like this, Klopp's name keeps getting brought up," Rooney observed. "It's a bit like the presence of Sir Alex Ferguson. For instance, when David Moyes came in [at Manchester United] and [Louis] van Gaal, Fergie's name would always get brought up. With Slot, Klopp keeps getting brought up. 'He's not Jurgen Klopp, he's not as good as Jurgen Klopp.' I think the Liverpool fans just need to move away from that and get behind him."

Following their latest defeat, Liverpool sit 11th in the Premier League table and will look to bounce back when they host PSV in the Champions League on Wednesday.