Liverpool, the defending champions of the Premier League, have lost four matches in a row in the ongoing 2025-26 season, slumping down to seventh place in the standings, raising a huge question around
their leadership group. Under manager Arne Slot, the Merseyside club have suffered losses away to Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Brentford while their arch-rivals Manchester United got the better of them at Anfield two weekends ago.
With Liverpool seven points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal and one point adrift of Manchester United, the club needs a lift to get back on track and begin their title charge once again. But during the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show, the former Manchester United player stated that Liverpool are lacking in regard to their captain Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah not really fulfilling their responsibility of leading the team this season after signing new deals with the club.
Wayne Rooney was quoted as saying about Liverpool’s woes over the past month or so, as per BBC Sport, “No-one has seen this coming, it's hit them quick, it's hit them hard and I think they're struggling to find a way out of it. This is a time where the manager and the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they've signed new deals but I don't think they've really led that team this season.”
If I was a Liverpool fan or the manager, that would be a big concern for me: Wayne Rooney
“I think body language tells you a lot, and I think we're seeing slightly different body language from the two of them. They are the top two players in that team and if their body language is not right, that affects everyone else. I might be wrong on this, but if I was a Liverpool fan or the manager, that would be a big concern for me,” remarked the five-time Premier League champion, who opined that the body language of Van Dijk and Salah is far from ideal for the Merseyside club.
In their next match, Liverpool will take on Crystal Palace on Wednesday, October 29, in the fourth round clash in the EFL Cup at Anfield.
