Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has boldly explained why he thinks two Liverpool top stars are to blame for their ongoing woes under Arne Slot.

On Saturday evening, Liverpoolsuffered their fourth consecutive defeat in the Premier League as they were beaten 3-2 by Brentford.

During this dire run of form, the Reds have fallen from the top of the Premier League table and they currently sit outside of the Champions League positions.

Therefore, head coachArne Slotis under immense scrutiny for the first time and he quickly needs to find answers to save Liverpool’s season.

The Premier League holders are severely lacking balance following their ￡400m+ overhaul in the summer, while most of their key players are underperforming.

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Now, Rooney has argued that Liverpool’s ‘lack of leadership’ is a big reason for their current struggles, with the Man Utd legend blaming Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

“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,” Rooney said on his BBC podcast.

“This is a time where 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.

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

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After Liverpool’s loss to Brentford, Van Dijk revealed what Liverpool needs to do to get out of their current slump.

“It’s a collective thing. We go through phases in a season where we all have to improve and step up. That’s a matter of fact,” Van Dijk said.

“Maybe it feels like we’re repeating ourselves, but obviously I have to stand here and speak to you guys at times as well.

“It is down to us to keep going. We want to turn this around. That is a fact. I’m confident that we will, but we need to work for it with everything that we have together with everyone involved and have Liverpool in their hearts.

“I think we gave maybe, in my feeling I have, maybe 10 throw-ins away in the first 20 minutes. And if that’s the strength of the opponent, then obviously you’re asking for trouble.

“So, yeah, listen, it’s disappointing, but more disappointing that obviously we can’t keep a clean sheet at the moment.

“You know, something that I’m obviously also part of, like the rest of the team. It’s not only one player or the back line, it’s everyone that’s responsible for that and we have to improve in order to get back to winning ways in the league.”