"Liverpool are strong, but they are in a lot of trouble," Rooney told the Daily Mail on 23/11. "Earlier in the season, even when they won, they struggled to perform. The leaders in the dressing room must find a way to revive the team. Otherwise, like Manchester United in recent seasons and Tottenham last season, they will decline."

Liverpool (in red) lost 0-3 at home to Nottingham at Anfield in round 12 of the English Premier League on 22/11. Photo: Reuters

Liverpool had an impressive start under Arne Slot, even winning the English Premier League 2024-2025 four rounds early and reaching the League Cup final, despite only adding Federico Chiesa. In summer 2025, the Anfield club heavily reinforced their squad, spending over 500 million USD to buy 7 players, and were expected to have a spectacular season. However, in reality, except for Hugo Ekitike, the remaining new signings have been largely disappointing, exemplified by English football's record signing, Alexander Isak. Across nine matches in all competitions, he has only scored one goal (League Cup) and provided one assist (Premier League).

Early in the season, Liverpool won all five matches, but four of those victories came from decisive goals in the final minutes. When "the mask fell off," coach Slot's team lost six of their next seven matches. Most recently, in round 12, they suffered a devastating 0-3 defeat at home at Anfield against Nottingham, a team currently second to last, dropping to 11th place and 11 points behind league leaders Arsenal.

Liverpool's defensive record is alarming. They have conceded 20 goals in just 12 rounds, including two matches where they conceded three goals. Last season, Slot's team only conceded 41 goals in 38 matches.

According to Rooney, the first thing Liverpool needs to do is strengthen their defense, rather than worrying too much about the attack. He believes that by limiting goals conceded, the reigning Premier League champions can regain confidence and form. "The easiest thing to do when you are struggling is to get fit and play compactly. But at the moment, Liverpool are playing very openly and are easily exploited," Rooney added.

When Liverpool first started to decline, Rooney warned about the inappropriate body language of Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. But instead of heeding the advice, Van Dijk repeatedly retorted, even showing disdain for the opinion of the former Manchester United captain.

Rooney's comparison of Liverpool's current situation to Manchester United or Tottenham might seem excessive, but it is not without basis. Between 1993 and 2013, Manchester United gained significant recognition by winning the English Premier League 13 times. However, since former coach Alex Ferguson retired, they have never regained their glory. The last time "The Red Devils" finished in the top 4 was in the 2022-2023 season. In the last two seasons, the Manchester club finished 8th and 15th, respectively. Similarly, Tottenham reached the Premier League top 4 for four consecutive seasons and the Champions League final in 2018-2019, then suddenly lost their elite status. After that, they returned to the top 4 only once in the 2021-2022 season. Last season, "The Lilywhites" even dropped to 17th place.

Thanh Quy (according to Daily Mail)