Salah not helping: Rooney urges Slot to drop Egyptian maestro
Mohamed Salah's poor form has coincided with Liverpool's dismal run in the Premier League, and former England striker Wayne Rooney wants Red boss Arne Slot to take a drastic step.
New Delhi: Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney called on Arne Slot to make a "big decision" by dropping Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah to set an example for the rest of the squad.
The defending champions slumped to an embarrassing 0-3 home defeat to Nottingham Forest at home and slipped to 11th in the league table, 11 points behind league leaders Arsenal. Salah's poor run in front of the goal has coincided with the dismal form of Liverpool, who have lost six of the last seven league games.
Salah, a pale shadow of himself
Salah, who has netted five goals this season, last scored a goal in the Reds' win over Aston Villa on November 1. After becoming the first player in Premier League history to finish with the most goals and assists and win the Player of the Season award, Salah has looked a pale shadow of himself.
He was the chief contributor to Arne Slot's title-winning campaign in his first year in charge of the Anfield club last season, but another game without a goal and an assist clearly indicates there is something wrong.
Rooney, a staunch critic of the Reds' indifferent form this season, has questioned Salah's defensive contribution and has urged Slot to drop the Egyptian superstar.
"Salah is not helping them defensively," Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.
"I'm sure if you're one of them players they've signed, you're sat on the bench and you've seen them not running -- I get he's a club legend and everything he's done on the club - but if you're on the bench then what message does that send if you see one of your teammates not running back and he's starting every game?
"If I was Arne Slot, I'd try and make a big decision just so it has an impact on the rest of the team.
"When you're not winning games, you want to stay compact and hard to beat.
"While I think they're going through this period, 100% he (Slot) needs to make a decision and get them compact, get them hard to beat and every player running back and then when they start winning games you can bring him back in and hope that he is running back more.
"I think that will have an impact on the team for sure."
Rooney also criticised other senior members of the squad, who he feels need to pull their socks up to galvanise the troops.