Wayne Rooney has criticised Mohamed Salah for his work ethic in Liverpool’s dramatic defeat at Chelsea on Saturday night, and believes that captain Virgil van Dijk needs to have a word with the star winger.
Salah, 33, failed to get on the scoresheet for the fifth time in seven Premier League games as the Premier League champions slumped to their third defeat in a week, in what many fans have called the ‘week from hell’.
The Egyptian winger missed numerous chances in the second half, either side of Cody Gakpo’s equaliser – following Moises Caicedo’s first-half thunderbolt – but failed to hit the target.
However, while he has struggled in front of goal this campaign, it’s his defensive work, or lack thereof, that has come into question following Estevao Willian’s 96th-minute winner at Stamford Bridge.
Rooney has questioned Salah’s defensive commitment, while also suggesting that his ego has taken a hit following the £125million British record signing of Alexander Isak and the addition of Florian Wirtz for £116m.
Speaking on the Wayne Rooney Show, he said: ‘With the players coming in, Isak, [Hugo] Ekitike, and Wirtz, the money they have spent on the, what does Salah think now?
Mohamed Salah struggled during Liverpool’s dramatic late defeat at Chelsea on Saturday
Wayne Rooney has criticised Salah for his lack of defensive work during the loss at Stamford Bridge
Rooney also believes the signings of Alexander Isak (left) and Florian Wirtz (right) have bruised Salah’s ego
‘Top players have an ego, and Mo Salah has been one of the best players in the league for a long time.
‘I think the last week has shown that when it’s gone well, you’re scoring goals and you’re winning games, it’s great and the team will put up with that, but over the last week, I’d question his work ethic.
‘I know he doesn’t always get back and defend as much, but in the Chelsea game, his full-back is getting torn apart, and he is watching.’
Liverpool’s right-hand side was regularly exposed in west London, whether that be in the first half when Conor Bradley was at right-back, or in the second period when Dominik Szoboszlai slotted into the role.
The winning goal from Estevao started on Salah’s flank, with Marc Cucurella being played through before squaring to the Brazilian.
Salah failed to track the Spaniard as he made his darting run down the Reds’ right flank, and Rooney now believes that captain Virgil Van Dijk and members of the team’s leadership team need to have words with the attacker.
He added: ‘Players like Van Dijk and Alisson, who I know wasn’t playing, but the leaders in the dressing room should be telling him you need to help it. For me, that was a worry.
‘He has looked a little bit lost the past week, in my opinion.’
Rooney has suggested that captain Virgil van Dijk needs to give Salah a talking to
Under Jurgen Klopp, there was no getting away with not tracking back. Salah could regularly be seen busting a gut to help out Trent Alexander-Arnold during the Reds peak years under the German.
But when Slot walked through the door, Salah’s role changed. The Egyptian was allowed to conserve energy defensively in order to get the best out of him going forward.
Last season, it worked. He registered 47 Premier League goal involvements, levelling the record, and earning both the Golden Boot and the Playmaker Award, as the Reds romped to their 20th top-flight title.
And speaking after Liverpool were confirmed as champions, after battering Tottenham 5-1 at Anfield in April, Salah admitted that it was he who had the idea to reduce his defensive contributions.
‘I told him “as long as you rest me defensively, I will provide offensively”,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘Try to rest me as much as I can, then I will show you the numbers. So I’m glad that I did.
‘He’s the manager, of course, but he listens a lot, so I spoke to him and he bought the idea. You can see the numbers!
‘To be fair, it’s quite tricky, because when you play in the Premier League you have to defend also your left-back.
‘But I spoke to him and told him ‘I can gamble somehow, a little bit here or there, but when we get the ball I’m always free, I can make the difference.
‘I think my number of assists also shows that. It’s not only about goals, it’s also about creating chances and just making a difference for the team.’
