Wayne Rooney was brutally honest about our defending after the 3-2 loss to Bournemouth, calling the goals we conceded “terrible” and suggesting the unbeaten run had been masking problems.
Rooney’s point wasn’t just that we lost, but how we lost.
Speaking on the BBC’s The Wayne Rooney Show, he argued the first goal was avoidable, pointing at Virgil van Dijk not clearing, then allowing the cut-back, with the full-backs “all over the place”.
He also had a go at the stoppage-time winner, saying nobody put their “body on the line” when the ball dropped in the box.
That’s harsh language, but the match data doesn’t exactly let us off the hook.
Bournemouth generated 2.35 xG to our 0.93 and had six big chances to our one, which tells you the danger wasn’t just one chaotic moment at the end.
Liverpool defending vs Bournemouth analysed as Rooney questions standards
Arne Slot reacts against Bournemouth
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
If Rooney is being “fair”, it’s in the sense that this wasn’t a single freak goal.
We conceded three, and the underlying chances suggest Bournemouth could have had more.
The late equaliser made it feel like we might steal it, but we were living on the edge.
Rooney also said the unbeaten run “wasn’t a great run” because of the volume of draws, and that’s the part that will sting, because one defeat now makes that spell feel like it brought fewer points than it should have.
That’s also why his mention of scrutiny on Slot if we miss Champions League qualification lands with added weight.
Bournemouth 3-2 Liverpool stats show why Rooney’s criticism has bite
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, shakes referee Michael Salisbury hand after the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Liverpool
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Here’s a snapshot of the key numbers (via SofaScore):
Stat Bournemouth Liverpool
Possession 33% 67%
Expected goals (xG) 2.35 0.93
Big chances 6 1
Shots 12 14
Shots on target 5 4
Tackles 20 12
Corners 3 11
We had the ball, but Bournemouth had the clearer chances.
That’s the story of a side that can look in control while still being easy to hurt.
It’s also why the wider reaction has followed a similar line.
Gary Neville described us as “soft”, while Alan Shearer criticised how our full-backs were positioned for the opening goal.
Those aren’t Liverpool-friendly voices, but they’re all pointing at the same issue from different angles.
Bournemouth created far better chances than we did (2.35 xG to 0.93 and six big chances to one), so Rooney’s criticism of our defending wasn’t just theatre after a late winner.