“They have to respond”: McManaman slams Liverpool trio after Brentford defeat | OneFootball

Liverpool suffered a 3-2 loss yesterday, dropping the Reds to sixth place on the league log. Arne Slot’s side is currently putting up an abysmal title defence.

Liverpool thought they had snapped their terrible form with the mid-week win, but Brentford overcame the reigning champions to pile the misery.

Several Liverpool players were guilty of delivering subpar performances, but former midfielder Steven McManaman singled out three who must respond.

McManaman criticised the team’s lack of compactness and urged the manager to return to the tactics that worked last season, before calling on the trio to turn things around.

McManaman said (via the Mirror), “They’ve got home games coming up and they have to turn this around, but they had all the platitudes and all the plaudits last year when they were winning games and they were winning the league easily.

“Now they have to take the criticism on the chin. It’s as simple as that, and they have to respond.

“Mo Salah needs criticism on the chin. Virgil van Dijk needs to take it. Florian Wirtz needs to take it.

“£100m has been spent on him, he needs to take it, and you know what, they have to respond.”

Salah has not been able to replicate his immaculate form from last season.

He had spearheaded the Reds to the title with record-breaking numbers, but he has struggled this term.

Also, Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk is another who has not lived up to his reputation this season.

He gave away a penalty yesterday that gave Brentford their third of the game.

Meanwhile, Wirtz has struggled to adapt to the Premier League’s pace and hasn’t been able to influence games as he’d like. They all need to start delivering the goods.

Liverpool’s next few fixtures will be crucial in defining their campaign. Slot must rediscover the intensity and rhythm that made his side unstoppable last season.

At the same time, key figures like Salah, Van Dijk, and Wirtz need to shoulder responsibility and inspire a response.

The Reds can’t afford another setback if they hope to stay in the title race.

With the pressure mounting at Anfield, this is the moment for Liverpool’s leaders to prove their credentials and reignite their fading championship defence.