Liverpool are preparing to face Manchester United in the Premier League
Liverpool manager Arne Slot
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has endured difficult spells this season(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA, Getty Images)
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Liverpool manager Arne Slot is focusing on securing a statement victory against Manchester United this weekend. The Reds could potentially confirm their Champions League spot with a favourable outcome at Old Trafford.
They will take on their rivals without key man Mohamed Salah, who has been sidelined for the match but is expected back before the season ends. The Egyptian forward is among a number of absentees in Slot's squad ahead of the United fixture.
Slot has faced questions throughout the campaign after the reigning champions found themselves embroiled in a scrap for Champions League qualification. The 47-year-old looks set to remain in the Liverpool hot seat next term and has addressed the criticism that he has faced this season.
Meanwhile, United icon Wayne Rooney has shared his verdict on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Salah in the build-up to this weekend's game. Here, ECHO Sport examines some of the stories surrounding the club.
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Arne Slot responds to critics
Slot has addressed questions about the backlash he has faced over the team's displays this season. The Dutch manager delivered a Premier League crown in his maiden campaign at Anfield but has seen his side fall short of those levels this term, prompting him to be asked whether he feels the criticism has been justified.
"I think it is for you guys to judge if I have been too harshly judged by many people," Slot said in his pre-match press conference. "That's not up to me.
"I judge my players, if they play well, if they are working hard and executing tactics. I'm not in this job to judge whether I'm criticised too harshly. That's not the way I spend my time on a daily basis."
The side will end the campaign trophyless. However, Slot will aim to maintain his team's current form after securing three consecutive league victories.
Wayne Rooney working as a pundit
Wayne Rooney has spoken about two key Liverpool players(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Wayne Rooney's stark assessment
Manchester United legend Rooney has argued that Liverpool captain Van Dijk is no longer performing at his peak. Rooney, who clashed with the defender earlier this season, went on to claim that Van Dijk's team-mate Salah has also displayed signs of decline.
"I said this since the start of the season, age gets to us all and your legs go," he said on The Wayne Rooney Show. "I think that's happened to Salah this season and Virgil van Dijk hasn't been the same this season.
"They are the leaders in the dressing room. It's hard for the other players to go and leave their mark or become the leaders. I don't think he [Van Dijk] will [leave] but you've seen players when they've stayed there for too long."
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