On October 27, Man Utd’s all-time leading goal scorer, Wayne Rooney, blamed Liverpool’s four-game Premier League losing streak on a lack of leadership.

He mentioned Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Egyptian prodigy Mohammed Salah that the duo have signed a contract extension with the club, but their posture this season does not reflect that of good leadership, one that is in charge, citing that as one of the reasons behind the team's struggles.

“This is a time when the manager and the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah they’ve signed new deals, but I don’t think they’ve really led that team this season. I think body language tells you a lot, and I think we’re seeing slightly different body language from the two of them. They are the top two players in that team, and if their body language is not right, that affects everyone else,” he said.

In reaction to this, Virgil van Dijk has shot down the legend’s claims, flawing them as lazy criticism.

According to him, a team’s form is not entirely the responsibility of a few players but that of every member of the team citing the silence of the former Man Utd legend when the club was their best last season where they won the Premier League title last season. He said the remarks didn't hurt him.

He said, “I didn’t hear him last year,” Van Dijk told reporters, after Liverpool arrested their slide with a win against Aston Villa on Saturday. It doesn’t hurt me. Just to come back to this particular player, obviously a legend, a big player of the game who inspired so many, I can say only positive things, but I feel that comment is just, I would say it’s a bit of a lazy criticism. It’s easy to blame the other players, but he knows we do it together, trying to help each of us to try to get out of this. Last year, when things went well, you didn’t hear that at all”.

On his part, Rooney’s remarks are an opinion, and as a pundit, he is entitled to his opinion and which is to say, he is doing his job.

“It is what it is.[Pundits] have to do that job. He has an opinion, and we have to deal with it. There’s no hard feelings. I don’t take it personally,” he continued.

Liverpool is third in the Premier League and seven points behind leaders Arsenal heading into two crucial games this week.

Slot’s side hosted Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday before they visited Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

“I’ve heard the reports as well about [Slot] being under pressure, but I don’t think we play at a club that makes rash decisions,” added Van Dijk.We all felt that we could work our way out of this. It’s not a guarantee, but we can do it together. As long as we believe, stay humble and keep working, we can do it, and we all have that feeling.”

Another thing Rooney said was that the team is clearly having a hard time overcoming their struggles, as they never anticipated such results, which have now placed them seventh in the Premier League table. He has called on the leadership of Liverpool to treat the team’s current form with urgency.

The Reds have lost four consecutive Premier League matches and are now seven points behind leaders Arsenal.

“No one has seen this coming; it’s hit them quick, it’s hit them hard, and I think they’re struggling to find a way out of it,” he added.

“I might be wrong on this, but if I were a Liverpool fan or the manager, that would be a big concern for me.”

Meanwhile, Rooney has been quite vocal about Man Utd’s form. Man Utd have had a disappointing run since Amorim’s takeover from Eric ten Hag.

According to Rooney, he sees faith in Ruben Amorim to turn things around at Manchester United and believes the soul has gone from his former club.

"I just don't know what's going on. I have tried my hand at management, and it didn't work out too well, so I get it. Ruben Amorim is my age, he's still a young manager, and I'm sure he's got a massive future, but what's going on at Man Utd, this is not Man Utd. I honestly hope he can turn it around, and he does. But... after everything I've seen, honestly, I've got no faith in it," he said on his BBC podcast.

However, Man Utd has won its last three matches. After their second win in a row, speaking during his post-match press conference, Amorim stated that,

“It’s everything combined for the fans if you ask them on two wins in a row after so many years, it is really important for me that it is back-to-back; it doesn’t matter about the opponent, it is just the feeling of winning.”

But he said his focus was to achieve a three-in-a-row win as Man Utd gear up for their Premier League Matchweek 9 match with Brighton on Saturday, 25 October at Old Trafford, 17:30 BST (16:30 UTC).

“The important thing is to think three in a row and that’s the focus”, Amorim said to the BBC after the game.”

Before this back-to-back win, Head coach Amorim had taken just 34 points from his 33 Premier League games in charge. But his record as of October 20 put him just a point above his previous.

Man Utd lost for the fourth game in a row in all competitions, but for Amorim, bagging two EPL wins in a row was an important mark chalked in his first full season at the club.

However, it appears Amorim's tactics, which came under heavy criticism, are producing the results he anticipated they would.

Rooney’s former club are also enjoying a resurgence, with a 4-2 win over Brighton making it three on the trot and lifting them to sixth place, level on points with Manchester City and one clear of Liverpool.

Part of that success has been down to the form of forward Bryan Mbeumo, who has scored three of his five goals in the last two games.

Rooney admitted he was not convinced when United brought him to the club in the summer for £65m from Brentford, but said the 26-year-old Cameroon international is now living up to expectations.

“His energy, his work-rate, his desire, is what you need to be a United player. I did say that I was a little bit unsure, but I think what he’s shown is he belongs there,” added Rooney.

“He’s been consistent with his performances, I think that’s the main thing. If you’re consistently getting into the right positions and getting chances, you will score 20 goals a season.”