READ MORE: Liverpool presented with ‘clear evidence’ claim after Cody Gakpo denied penalty vs Brentford
“And it can get them, and it will creep up, and then all of a sudden you’re like, ‘Where did that come from?’ You’re probably sitting here thinking, three or four weeks ago, no one saw this coming.
“And it’s hit them quick, it’s hit them hard, and they’re struggling to find a way out of it. This is the time when the manager, the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly.
“I’m a bit unsure. Van Dijk and [Mohamed] Salah have signed new deals and whatever. But I don’t think they’ve really led that team this season.”
When pressed on his reasoning, Rooney added: “Just performances and body language. I think body language tells you a lot.
“I think we’re seeing a slightly different body language from the two of them. They are the top two players on that side, and if their body language isn’t right, that affects everyone else.”
However, former United team-mate Ferdinand sees things differently, claiming that the whole team are to blame – not just Van Dijk and Salah. Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the England legend said: “I don’t think it’s a one-man thing.
“When you’re the captain, all eyes are on you so your name probably gets shouted at first. It’ll be him or Salah, the two biggest players in the squad.
“Just signed new deals, so there’s loads of issues and people are going and pointing the finger. But this is a squad thing – they didn’t win the league last season because of Salah and Virgil van Dijk only, they won it because they were the best team.
“Are any of them playing to the level they were playing to last season? [Alexis] Mac Allister was being called one of the best midfielders in the world, [Ryan] Gravenberch was being called one of the best midfielders in the world last year.
“Are they at that level this season? No. So it ain’t just Van Dijk and it ain’t just Salah. All of them.”
Liverpool are now set for a testing EFL Cup clash with Crystal Palace come Wednesday evening, before they return to Premier League action against Aston Villa on Saturday. And with matches against Real Madrid and Manchester City on the horizon in November, it could be another tough month for Slot unless he is able to iron out the club’s bad habits.
For the latest news and breaking news, visit liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow us on X @LivEchoLFC – the official Liverpool ECHO LFC X account – for all the latest LFC news as it happens in real time.
We’re also on Facebook/LiverpoolEchoLFC – your must-see LFC news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.
Listen to our podcasts by searching for ‘Blood Red’ wherever you get your podcasts.
