Liverpool
Rooney Urges Action as Liverpool’s Right Flank Remains Exposed
Rooney urges Arne Slot to act, suggesting Mohamed Salah could be dropped as Liverpool’s form stalls.
Wayne Rooney has defended Arne Slot’s position as Liverpool manager while insisting that the manager must consider dropping Mohamed Salah amid a troubling run of results. Rooney’s intervention focussed on defensive issues down Liverpool’s right side and the message that current selection sends to the squad.
Slot freely admits that his star forward operates under different requirements to ensure that his energy is saved for the sharp end of the pitch. Opponents have regularly targeted the flank Salah vacates. This very weekend, Nottingham Forest scored their second goal of a 3–0 Anfield win by buccaneering down Liverpool’s right wing, with Neco Williams running off Salah’s shoulder to tee up Nicolò Savona.
Statistically the pattern is striking. Throughout the Premier League season, 22% of the shots Liverpool have faced have come down that flank—the highest such proportion in the division—compared to just 10% on the opposite side, per WhoScored.
Rooney did not hold back on defensive responsibility. “Salah is not helping them defensively,” he told his self-titled podcast.
He added: “If you’re one of the players who they’ve signed and you’re on the bench and you’ve seen him not running—and again he’s a club legend and everything he’s done for the club—but if you’re on the bench, then what message does that send to you?
“If I was Slot, I’d try and make a big decision just so it has an impact on the rest of the team.” When asked by Kelly Somers to clarify if he meant dropping Salah, Rooney confirmed that was his stance.
Rooney emphasised the need to be hard to beat. “When you’re not winning games, you want to try and stay compact and hard to beat, so I think while they’re going through this period, 100% he needs to make a decision,” he said.
He also recognised the wider context, pointing to the effect of Diogo Jota’s death. “You’ve probably got to look at the effect of what sadly happened to Jota,” Rooney added. “What effect does that have on the players because that’s his teammates? That surely has to have an effect.” He concluded: “But then there’s no excuse for not fighting and not tackling.”
Not all pundits agree on the same remedy. Gary Neville warned: “You can’t lose six games in seven if you are Liverpool Football Club,” the Sky Sports pundit warned. “It’s unacceptable. The manager has to change the style or the system and help them. It means being more solid, personnel changes.”
He also suggested personnel tweaks. “ [Milos] Kerkez is struggling, [Ibrahima] Konaté is struggling,” the retired defender pointed out. “I called on it a few weeks ago, I said maybe Joe Gomez should play right back, Andy Robertson at left back and play as a narrow back four. Be a bit more pragmatic. Something has to change in the collective. ]”
Analytics & Stats
Salah becomes first player with 152 goal contributions at one Premier League stadium
Salah reached 152 goal contributions at one Premier League ground, overtaking Henry and Rooney. 2026
Mohamed Salah set a new Premier League benchmark when he reached 152 goal contributions at a single stadium during Liverpool’s 4–1 thumping of Newcastle United on Saturday. That total places him ahead of the previous record of 151, which was held jointly by Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney at Highbury and Old Trafford respectively.
Salah’s tally at that ground is compiled from 107 goals and 45 assists, producing the 152 figure that now stands alone at the top. Thierry Henry’s total there was 114 goals and 37 assists for 151, while Wayne Rooney recorded 101 goals and 50 assists for the same combined total.
Mohamed Salah
Goals 107
Assists 45
Total 152
Thierry Henry
Goals 114
Assists 37
Total 151
Wayne Rooney
Goals 101
Assists 50
Total 151
Beyond the stadium-specific milestone, Salah remains on course for other career landmarks in the Premier League. He is fourth on the all-time scoring list with 190, 18 behind Wayne Rooney’s 208 and behind Alan Shearer and Harry Kane. Whether he can move up into third depends on form and remaining fixtures: Liverpool have 14 Premier League games left and Salah has scored four goals in 16 outings this season.
Player
Goals
Alan Shearer 260
Harry Kane 213
Wayne Rooney 208
Mohamed Salah 190*
Andrew Cole 187
*stats correct as of Feb. 1, 2026
The past 18 months have been full of broken records for Salah and have strengthened his standing in Premier League history. The clock is ticking for Salah and it is not yet clear how long he has left to rack up the numbers. His current contract says 18 months but his tense relationship with manager Arne Slot may suggest otherwise.
Analytics & Stats
Salah sets unique Premier League record with 152 goal contributions at one ground
Salah reached 152 goal contributions at one ground, surpassing Henry and Rooney’s 151 totals Feb. 1.
Mohamed Salah became the first player to register 152 goal contributions at a single Premier League stadium during Liverpool’s 4–1 thumping of Newcastle United on Saturday. That total moves him past the previous high of 151, a mark held jointly by Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney at Highbury and Old Trafford respectively.
Salah’s landmark is the product of sustained output for Liverpool over several seasons. The numbers at that ground break down as 107 goals and 45 assists, producing a combined total of 152. By comparison, Thierry Henry recorded 114 goals and 37 assists for 151, while Wayne Rooney had 101 goals and 50 assists, also 151.
Salah
Goals
Assists
Total
Mohamed Salah
107
45
152
Thierry Henry
114
37
151
Wayne Rooney
101
50
151
Beyond this stadium-specific record, Salah is also tracking career scoring milestones in the league. He sits fourth on the all-time Premier League scorers list on 190, 18 behind Wayne Rooney’s 208 return and behind Alan Shearer and Harry Kane. Whether he can climb into third remains an open question given Liverpool have 14 Premier League matches left and Salah has scored four goals in 16 appearances this season.
Player
Goals
Alan Shearer
260
Harry Kane
213
Wayne Rooney
208
Mohamed Salah
190*
Andrew Cole
187
*stats correct as of Feb. 1, 2026
The past 18 months have been full of broken records for Salah, reinforcing his standing in Premier League history. The clock is ticking for Salah and it is not yet clear how long he has left to rack up the numbers. His current contract says 18 months but his tense relationship with manager Arne Slot may suggest otherwise.
Liverpool
Slot: Liverpool Will Only Sign in January If It Fits a Longer-Term Plan
Slot: Liverpool will only act in January if transfers are smart, long-term solutions after injuries.
Liverpool face a short-term selection problem after right back Jeremie Frimpong withdrew injured during Wednesday’s Champions League win. With Conor Bradley already sidelined, manager Arne Slot warned the club will not make a kneejerk signing in the remaining days of the January window.
“We as a club always make decisions we at least think are smart decisions,” Slot explained, adding that any addition must fit beyond the immediate need. “We not only look at the short-term, we look at the long-term. It always depends on [if] there are players available that we think can help us and if they are can we afford them … and [if] it is also helpful for the longer-term future because our players come back from injury as well.”
Slot also cautioned against an overstocked roster, noting that “Having a squad with “four right backs, 12 midfielders and three or four No. 9s” is not viable.” The club already regard two of their right backs as among the best in the world, and Slot underlined that both will return to full fitness in the months ahead.
Fabrizio Romano has outlined on YouTube that preliminary market assessments, conducted after Bradley’s injury on Jan. 8, concluded there are “no good right backs” of the “level” Liverpool would demand available in this window. Time is limited: the transfer window closes at 7 p.m. GMT (2 p.m. ET) on Monday and normal fixtures continue across the weekend.
Slot was pragmatic about immediate availability. “Let’s first see how Jeremie is, maybe he is not able to play Saturday, but maybe he is able to play one or two days later,” he said. “We now go into a schedule where we have one game a week, so that would usually mean less injuries—but you are never sure.”
It is Frimpong’s fourth hamstring injury of the season. Liverpool’s automatic qualification for the Champions League round of 16 means no European matches until mid-March, allowing the squad to focus on the Premier League and FA Cup. Their only midweek fixture before March is the Feb. 11 trip to Sunderland, and the reduced schedule should provide more recovery time.
United Preparing Major Midfield Overhaul with Goretzka Among Targets
Salah becomes first player with 152 goal contributions at one Premier League stadium
