In the 9th round of the Premier League, Liverpool lost 2-3 away to Brentford. They suffered a 4th consecutive league defeat and are currently 7 points behind the leader Arsenal. After the game, many fans and commentators placed the blame on Van Dijk and Salah, the two Red Army veterans. Rooney, for example, criticized the Reds captain's leadership, but Ferdinand disagreed.
In the latest episode of "The Wayne Rooney Show," Rooney said: "This happens from time to time for a team, and it will happen suddenly and catch people by surprise. No one expected this a few weeks ago, but now the problem has become rapid and serious.
"It's time for the coach and team leaders to quickly find out the reasons. I have some doubts about the performance of Van Dijk and Salah. Although they signed new contracts, I feel that they have not really led the team forward this season. Specifically their performance and body language, I think body language can say a lot.
"I see that the body language of Van Dijk and Salah is somewhat different. As the team's top players, if their condition is not right, it will affect the entire team."
Ferdinand believes that Van Dijk and Salah should not be blamed only. He said in his show : "I don't think this is a problem for one individual. The captain always gets attention first, but in fact it is a problem for the entire team. They won the championship last season because of the outstanding performance of the whole team, not just Salah and Van Dijk.
" Is there anyone in Liverpool who maintains the level of last season? McAllister and Hrafenbecher were considered the best midfielders in the world last season, but have they performed like that this season? The answer is no. So this is not just a problem for Van Dijk and Salah, but a problem for the team. "
Liverpool will face Crystal Palace at home in the League Cup this week, and the 10th round of the Premier League will face Villa in excellent form at home over the weekend. After entering November, the Red Army will also face Real Madrid and Manchester City in the Champions League and Premier League respectively.