Wayne Rooney has delivered a blunt assessment of Liverpool’s collapse, accusing the club’s senior figures of letting standards drop after Saturday’s damaging 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Murillo, Nicolo Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White punished a lifeless Liverpool side, condemning Arne Slot’s team to their sixth Premier League loss of the campaign.
The champions now face the risk of falling 11 points behind Arsenal if the Gunners win Sunday’s north London derby.
Rooney warns Liverpool could mirror Man Utd’s decline
Speaking on Match of the Day, Rooney said Liverpool’s dressing-room ‘leaders’ have failed to arrest the decline that has stretched across the season.
“Liverpool are a very good team, but they’re going through a very difficult moment,” he said.
“Even early in the season they were winning games but struggling with performance. It’s those leaders in the dressing room who have to pick the players up.”
Rooney suggested that unless standards improve immediately, Liverpool could suffer the same dramatic fall seen at Manchester United and Tottenham.
“We’ve seen it with United, we saw it last year with Spurs, big teams can slip down the table.”
United finished 15th last season under Ruben Amorim, while Spurs, distracted by their Europa League run, ended 17th despite winning the final.
Slot, Van Dijk admit crisis of confidence
Slot described the defeat as “another big disappointment,” admitting Liverpool’s lack of creativity and composure cost them again. “We weren’t able to play the way we did in the first half hour… If things go well or badly, it’s my responsibility.”
Captain Virgil van Dijk echoed the concerns, warning that the team is failing in fundamental areas.
“We concede too many easy goals. We were not good in battles, challenges, the fight,” he told Premier League Productions. “It’s a very difficult moment… Everyone has to take responsibility.”
Van Dijk insisted supporters will stay behind the team but made clear the group must “work harder” to climb out of the slump.
Liverpool have now lost six of their last seven league matches, raising serious questions about leadership, mentality and the return on the club’s £450m summer rebuild.
