Slot sending the wrong message to Liverpool signings over LAZY Salah – Wayne Rooney

Robin Bairner

Updated: 24 Nov 2025 12:49 GMT
4 min read

Mo Salah, Arne Slot, Liverpool — © IMAGO

Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah has been branded lazy by Wayne Rooney, who says that manager Arne Slot is sending the wrong message to the club’s new signings by allowing the icon’s attitude to go unchecked.

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The Reds splashed an extravagant sum of money in the transfer window over the summer to reinforce their attack with the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. Liverpool’s big spending has yet to pay dividends, with Slot’s side in abject for after losing six of their last seven.

Salah has come in for particular criticism this season following a dramatic slump in his attacking output after a career year last time out.

Current ETV

Mohamed Salah

F (CR), M (R)

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah

F (CR), M (R)

Liverpool

ETV Range

€36.1M - €44.1M

Slot has benched the veteran Egypt international on occasion, but Rooney says the Dutchman needs to come down harder on the misfiring winger.

The ex-Everton and Manchester United striker says that Salah is setting a bad example to his team-mates, and that the manager is enabling the situation.

“Salah is not helping them defensively,” he 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 team-mates not running back and he's starting every game?”

© IMAGO - Mo Salah's attitude has been criticised

Rooney calls on Slot to ‘make big decision’ on Salah

Rooney suggested that Salah needs to be dropped sooner rather than later for the good of the team.

“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,” he added.

“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% 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.”

Ahead of a Champions League clash against PSV, Liverpool have lost eight of 11 games, and the pressure will only mount on Slot should the Eindhoven side emerge from Anfield with a positive result.

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