British record signing Alexander Isak is not doing enough to justify starting ahead of Hugo Ekitike at Liverpool, says former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
Sweden international Isak, 25, joined the Reds in early September from Newcastle for £125m, but has scored one goal (in the League Cup) in seven appearances in all competitions.
Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United at Anfield was their third consecutive start in the Premier League without scoring.
Fellow striker Ekitike, who was a substitute against the Red Devils, has scored four goals for Liverpool, three of them in the league.
“I wouldn’t play with Isak, he doesn’t seem ready since he came from Newcastle,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.
“He hasn’t trained, he hasn’t had pre-season. It’s very important. “While Newcastle were training he was probably sitting at home on the phone to his agent for six hours a day trying to get a move.
“It’s very difficult when you don’t have a preseason. He may have done things alone, but he’s paying the price.”
“Looking at his performances, he doesn’t deserve to play ahead of Ekitike.”
The defeat against Manchester United was Liverpool’s fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, the first time they have suffered such a run since November 2014.
Liverpool won the Premier League title last season and, although they have started strongly this season with seven consecutive wins in all competitions, they have rarely produced consistently impressive performances in full matches.
“They’ve gotten a little complacent,” Rooney added.
“For Arne Slot, you forget it because he won the Premier League, but he is still quite young: he is 46 years old and it is the first time he has lost four in a row in his career.
“(Against Manchester United) he was arguing with the referees on the touchline, I hadn’t seen that before.
“We’re starting to see things unfold, which shows that the pressure is on.”