Liverpool fans should be ‘concerned’ by Virgil van Dijk comments after Nottingham Forest loss, says Wayne Rooney

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Virgil van Dijk was heavily critical of Liverpool’s performance against Nottingham Forest (Picture: Getty) Wayne Rooney believes Virgil van Dijk’s comments in the wake of Liverpool’s defeat to Nottingham Forest should be a cause for ‘concern’ amongst the fanbase. Your ultimate guide to the football season Metro's football newsletter: In The Mixer.

Murillo opened the scoring on Merseyside (Picture: Getty) Liverpool’s leaders must step up after their poor start, says Rooney (Picture: Getty) ‘So it’s a very, very difficult situation at the moment.’ Analysing Liverpool’s latest setback on Match of the Day, ex-Manchester United forward Rooney suggested it was up to the leaders in the dressing room to help steer the club out of their malaise. On Van Dijk’s post-match remarks, Rooney said: ‘That’s a concern when your captain is speaking like that about the players lacking fight and not winning second balls or challenges. ‘Nottingham Forest allowed Liverpool to come onto them early on and they were sucking Liverpool into traps all afternoon.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video ‘It’s a clear message [from Van Dijk] to his team-mates I think.’ Rooney added: ‘Liverpool are a very good team and they’re going through a very difficult moment at the minute and Van Dijk is the captain, the leader, and that is a strong message to his team-mates. ‘Maybe it’s meant for players who haven’t been there, who weren’t there last year, who didn’t win the league with Liverpool. ‘That’s the message: the standards at Liverpool need to be higher than what they are at the minute.’ The Reds are stranded down in 11th after their latest setback (Picture: Getty) According to Rooney, Liverpool even appeared to be ‘struggling’ in games when they went on a winning seven game winning run at the start of the season. ‘They’ve been going through a tough time all season really,’ the former England striker continued. ‘Even at the beginning of the season, they won games but they were struggling with performances. ‘I’ve said this throughout the season that it’s the leaders in that dressing room that need to pick the players up because, if not, we’ve seen it over the years with Manchester United and last season with Tottenham, they can slip down the table.’ Slot cut a frustrated figure on the touchline at Anfield (Picture: Getty) Speaking to Sky Sports in the immediate aftermath, Slot took full responsibility for the defeat while admitting that his squad were in a ‘very bad spell’. ‘If things go well or things go bad, it’s always my responsibility,’ the Liverpool head coach said. ‘We weren’t able to create enough. That’s why I say it’s my responsibility.’ After a midweek trip to the Netherlands to face PSV Eindhoven, Liverpool return to Premier League action at the London Stadium against West Ham.