Rooney tells Slot to drop Salah for Liverpool finale

Wayne Rooney, a figure synonymous with Manchester United's glory days, has delivered a stinging critique of Liverpool's star forward Mohamed Salah, suggesting the Egyptian should be dropped for the Reds' final match of the season.

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I find it sad at the end of what he’s done and what he’s achieved at Liverpool. It’s not the point for him to come out and aim another dig at Slot.

Rooney, speaking on his own show, didn't hold back, calling Salah's recent social media post a "grenade" aimed at incoming manager Arne Slot. He interpreted Salah's desire for Liverpool to return to "heavy metal attacking football" as a veiled criticism of Slot and a longing for Jurgen Klopp's previous style. Rooney argued that Salah's legs have gone, and he can no longer cope with the high tempo and intensity required for that brand of football.

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He wants to play heavy metal football, so he’s basically saying he wants Jurgen Klopp football. Now I don’t think Mo Salah can cope with that type of football any more. I think his legs have gone to play at that high tempo and high intensity.

"If I was Arne Slot, I’d have him nowhere near the stadium in the last game," Rooney declared, drawing a parallel to his own experience with Sir Alex Ferguson, where a disagreement led to him being left out of the squad for Ferguson's final match. Rooney feels Salah's comments have undermined Slot and thrown his teammates under the bus, leaving them to deal with the fallout.

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If I was Arne Slot, I’d have him nowhere near the stadium in the last game.

Salah, who is set to leave Liverpool after a highly successful nine-year spell, has scored 257 goals and won six major trophies. However, Rooney's comments suggest that his legacy might be tarnished by his recent public statements and perceived lack of commitment to the club's future direction under Slot. The former England captain's strong words highlight a potential rift and add another layer of drama to Liverpool's end-of-season narrative.

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He’s almost just dropped the grenade and said he doesn’t trust and believe in Arne Slot and almost thrown his team-mates who are going to be there next season and let them have to deal with that as well and put them into a position.