Rooney accuses Liverpool players of ‘downing tools’ as he gives ‘split’ verdict on Arne Slot | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney has accused some Liverpool players of ‘downing tools’ and is torn on whether or not Arne Slot should remain as head coach.

The Dutchman is facing increasingly widespread and fiercely-conveyed calls for the sack after the Reds fell to a 12th Premier League defeat of the season at Aston Villa on Friday night, with Champions League qualification still in the balance in the final week of a dismal campaign.

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James Pearce summed up the mood among the fanbase by likening it to the sombre end of Roy Hodgson’s brief reign at Anfield 15 years ago, although the former England striker isn’t firmly in either the stay or go camp.

Rooney ‘split’ on whether Slot should stay or go

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the 40-year-old observed: “I think that’s the biggest change for me where you go to Anfield, the first thing you want to do is quieten the crowd; but I think actually by Liverpool not pressing, they’re quietening the crowd down themselves and frustrating the Liverpool fans.

“That’s the big, big change for me. I’m quite split in should [Slot] go or should he stay because he won the league last season. I think he deserves a bit more time, in terms of what we’ve seen this season.

“I don’t feel right or good saying this – some players look like they’ve downed tools and that’s a big problem if you see that or you feel that for the manager.”

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Have Liverpool’s players lost faith in Slot?

For Rooney to beg the question as to whether Liverpool players have ‘downed tools’ is a serious accusation to make against a professional footballer.

Nobody would deny that many of the Reds’ squad have performed nowhere near their best levels this season, but we’d hate to think that’s down to a lack of effort or commitment. Even if they have doubts about Slot, playing for this club comes with an obligation to do right by the fans.

Mo Salah made his feelings about the head coach rather clear over the weekend, with Rooney strongly critical of the winger for doing so in public, and one might wonder whether a few of his teammates privately feel the same about the LFC boss.

The Dutchman will always have our gratitude for delivering the Premier League title last year, but things have since unravelled to such an extent that it’s difficult to see how he can get Liverpool back challenging for major silverware.

If Slot has ‘lost the dressing room’, to use that old cliché, it’d hard to envisage him recovering that respect among the players or the wider fan base, and FSG should bear that in mind when deciding whether or not to keep faith in the 47-year-old.