Rooney urges drastic Liverpool call for Anfield icon

Liverpool’s attacking construction has been questioned once more after the weekend defeat, though the most recent exterior suggestion focuses on a choice that feels far faraway from the true points on the pitch.

Rooney’s view on Salah and why Liverpool ought to see it otherwise

Based on BBC Sport, former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney claimed that Arne Slot ought to think about dropping Mo Salah to “ship a message” to the remainder of the squad.

Rooney mentioned on his podcast that our No.11 is “not serving to them defensively”, including that “for those who’re on the bench and also you’ve seen him not operating… what message does that ship to you?”

The previous England ahead argued {that a} huge name might “have an effect on the remainder of the group”, even whereas acknowledging that the Egyptian is “a membership legend and every little thing he’s completed for the membership”.

The context is vital right here. Salah has 5 objectives this season (solely Hugo Ekitike has extra) and completed the final marketing campaign with essentially the most objectives, assists and gained Participant of the Season.

His kind final 12 months was so extraordinary that even Ally McCoist mentioned lately that “if there’s one participant within the nation who’s entitled to have a little bit of a lapse in his kind… as a result of he has been unbelievable”.

In opposition to Forest, the 33-year-old produced a 6.6 SofaScore ranking, three key passes, 4 profitable dribbles, 90 touches, 37 possession losses, and one shot on course from 4 makes an attempt.

Not a classic show however definitely not the first purpose we conceded 3 times at dwelling.

Why the Liverpool image is extra complicated than Rooney suggests

Salah didn’t monitor again usually towards Forest, however neither did Cody Gakpo on the other flank or Alexander Isak by way of the center.

Slot’s system hardly ever asks our superior attackers to drop too deep, and that has been constant throughout his two seasons in cost.

Latest criticism from Germany – the place Sport Bild claimed our Egyptian winger is a “downside for Wirtz and Liverpool” on account of supposed selfishness – exhibits how narratives round him can snowball.

The concept that he’s all of the sudden an impediment to others feels wildly indifferent from the numbers and his long-term consistency.

Rooney additionally referenced the emotional influence of Diogo Jota’s tragic passing, saying it “certainly has to have an impact”, however insisted there may be nonetheless “no excuse for not combating and never tackling”.

We’re undoubtedly going by way of a troublesome spell, sitting eleventh after 12 video games, but the suggestion that dropping our most dependable attacker would repair the structural points appears simplistic.

Salah has delivered an excessive amount of for us, for too lengthy, to be portrayed as the foundation of a 3-0 defeat that stemmed from defensive lapses, set-piece vulnerability and Forest’s medical ending.

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