‘If that was Amorim…’ – Wayne Rooney suggests Slot may be getting off lightly after LFC defeat | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney has suggested that Arne Slot may be getting an easy ride from the media over some of his decisions in Liverpool’s defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday.

The Dutchman sprung some surprises with his starting XI at RAMS Park, with Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back and Jeremie Frimpong moving to a right-sided attacking role in place of Mo Salah, who was surprisingly benched.

With the Reds falling behind to a penalty converted by Victor Osimhen after 16 minutes, the cavalry was eventually called from the subs’ bench and the tactician made a few positional alterations, but to no avail as the game finished 1-0.

(Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)

Rooney suggests Slot has been getting off lightly this week

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the former England striker claimed that Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim would be ‘slaughtered’ over some of the decisions that Slot made for the Galatasaray game.

The 39-year-old said of the Liverpool head coach and his team: “I thought they were really poor. I think a worry for me would be them losing the game and it looked like, even with still quite a bit of time left to go, he’s just put every attacking player on the pitch and just said, ‘Right, go and figure it out’.

“It could’ve got a lot worse for Liverpool with the amount of times they’ve given the ball away at the back and losing it and getting broke on, and Alisson getting injured.

“I think when you win the league, like Arne Slot did last season with Liverpool, then sometimes some of the decisions you make get overlooked.

“His decision to play a midfield player at right-back and a right-back at right wing was… [pause] for instance, if that was Amorim at Manchester United, he’d get absolutely slaughtered.”

(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

A rare misstep by Slot during his hitherto brilliant Liverpool reign

Did Slot get it wrong with his starting XI on Tuesday night? The final score and the flurry of in-game tactical changes would suggest that he did, and he hasn’t been immune from criticism from pundits throughout a difficult week for Liverpool.

He may have felt justified in taking some selection gambles against Galatasaray – Szoboszlai has impressed at right-back in previous games this season, while Frimpong has experience of playing as a right winger and may need to do so when Salah goes to the Africa Cup of Nations in the winter.

Those decisions backfired in Istanbul, but unlike the notoriously stubborn Amorim and his eternal allegiance to a 3-4-2-1 formation, Slot was willing to deviate from Plan A in order to try and secure victory. It didn’t work in midweek, but it’s worked on previous occasions when he’s switched things up mid-game.

Also, whereas the Dutchman took on the unenviable task of succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and romped to the Premier League title at the first attempt, his counterpart at Old Trafford has lost more than half of his 33 top-flight games in charge and secured a grand total of 34 points in that time.

The Reds boss might have erred with his team selection on Tuesday, but it was a rare aberration during what has so far been a hugely successful reign at the Anfield helm, which is far more than can be said for Amorim in Manchester.