Mohamed Salah was not happy after Liverpool’s 4-2 loss at Aston Villa on Friday night.
The Egyptian, who is set to bid farewell to Liverpool fans at Anfield against Brentford on Sunday, claimed the team need to return to the “heavy metal” football played under Jurgen Klopp’s predecessor, Arne Slot.
Slot has come under increasing pressure, with Liverpool fifth in the Premier League, having lost 12 matches in a dismal title defence.
Wayne Rooney says Arne Slot should drop Mohamed Salah
While Salah’s criticism of “yet another defeat” was not an unpopular sentiment amongst Liverpool fans, former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney took a different perspective.
He suggested Salah should now be dropped for the final game of the season and denied his Liverpool swansong.
"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,” the ex-England international said on the Wayne Rooney Show.
"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 anymore. 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. I had it with Alex Ferguson; I had a disagreement and fall out and at Alex Ferguson's last game at Old Trafford, he left me out of the squad for that reason.
"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."
Salah was dropped by Slot in December after claiming he had been “thrown under the bus” and that he had “no relationship” with the manager.
"I think he's been very selfish in what he's done in the two occasions," Rooney added. "It's a shame and fans will be on his side, but I think when you look deeper into it and having been in a dressing room in a similar situation to that as well, Mo Salah knows exactly what he's doing.
"That's your manager. You can't publicly disrespect him twice the way he has and get away with it. And that's where if I was Arne Slot, I'd have to pull rank and just say, 'listen, you're not coming anywhere near the place on Sunday, whether you like it or not'. I really doubt he will do it, but I think he should.
"Of course he deserves a good send off but does he deserve it just for this? It's the second time he's done it. it's just a shame to see one of the great icon of Premier League players leave the Premier League probably in this situation."
