Article by Romeo Ene – Published on Tuesday, 17 February 2026 23:49 / Updated on Tuesday, 17 February 2026 23:49
Wayne Rooney (40 years old) analyzed the complicated situation at Liverpool and stated that Arne Slot (47 years old) does not have the necessary aura to be the coach of the team.
The former Manchester United striker believes that the Cormorants' current problems are down to the loss of key players and the drop in form of others, and he has named Al-Hilal loanee Darwin Nunez.
Wayne Rooney has spoken out after seeing Liverpool's situation this season
Former symbol of Manchester United, Rooney claims that Slot he is not fit to handle the pressure from Liverpool, even though he won the Premier League title last season.
“I've met Arne Slot a few times but I just don't think for Liverpool he has that aura. Maybe it's because Liverpool have just come out of the Jurgen Klopp era and it's hard for anyone to follow them, but I don't feel he has that aura,” Rooney said on The Overlap Fan Debate.
Rooney also spoke directly about the Dutch coach's future on Liverpool's bench. “It's strange to discuss Slot as a manager under pressure after winning the Premier League.
But I know from talking to various coaches that things can change quickly. If he doesn't finish in the top five, he'll be fired, for sure. It's crazy to say that considering he was a champion“, said the former English international.
In his analysis, Rooney pointed to several causes for the regression of the team, which occupies the 6th place in the championship, 15 points behind the leader Arsenal.
“If we look at Liverpool from last season and this season, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are no longer at their best. Then there's the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, the fact that Andy Robertson hasn't played consistently, the departure of Luis Diaz and the Diogo Jota situation“, explained Rooney.
“Even Darwin Nunez was bringing something. It wasn't fantastic, but it was contributing something. Liverpool have lost a lot of players and that is why they are going through a rebuilding period,” he concluded.
