Wayne Rooney claims one thing ‘will definitely have helped Liverpool’ ahead of Man Utd showdown | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney has claimed that the October international break came at an ideal time for Liverpool in terms of offering them the opportunity for a reset.

The Reds return to action against Manchester United on Sunday off the back of three consecutive defeats, with decisive stoppage-time goals conceded in their previous two Premier League outings and Arsenal duly taking advantage to usurp the champions at the top of the table.

Despite that wobble at the turn of the month, both Paul Merson and Roy Keane have backed Arne Slot’s side to return to winning ways this weekend, and the latter’s former Old Trafford teammate is also expecting a reaction from LFC.

Rooney: International break will ‘have helped’ Liverpool

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show ahead of Sunday’s showdown, the former England striker said: “I think certainly for Liverpool, it will definitely have helped Liverpool in just getting away from each other.

“When you lose a few games, two or three games in a row, this is where you end up looking at teammates and saying, ‘You’re doing my head in’. Just having that time away from each other and the manager having that time away from the players can actually settle everything down.

“You have time to think, you go away, you’re obviously with your national team, but then you come back. No doubt Arne Slot will have his team talk ready. He knows exactly what he’s going to say to galvanise them after the last few games.”

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Liverpool won’t lack for motivation on Sunday

Liverpool will certainly be hoping that the international break came at the right time to give the players the opportunity to link up with their national teams and divert their focus away from the tough run of results against Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea.

Thankfully Slot hasn’t had his scope for selection curtailed over the past fortnight, with Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konate both set to be cleared for action on Sunday after minor injury scares in recent days.

With the players now reconvening at the AXA Training Centre to prepare for another hectic seven-game sequence over the next three weeks, we’re sure they’ll return with an added appetite to put the losing streak behind them and answer any critics who’ve been writing them off lately.

The sight of Man United coming to Anfield should provide the head coach with ample motivation to find the right words to say to his squad before they take to the pitch on Sunday afternoon, and what better occasion for Liverpool to get back to winning ways!

Rooney scored the last time that the Red Devils won in L4; that was almost 10 years ago. The champions will be hugely determined to ensure that the visitors’ wait for a victory on our patch extends into a second decade!

You can watch Slot’s full pre-Manchester United press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: