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Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney provided a softer take on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk after the Dutchman didn't seemingly take kindly to Rooney's criticism. The Englishman had called out Van Dijk for his performances after signing a new deal.Rooney's comments had come before the Reds' 2-0 Premier League home win over Aston Villa at the weekend, which snapped a two-game losing streak and a run of six losses in seven games across competitions.“This is a time where the manager and the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly," Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney show (as per TBR ). "Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they’ve signed new deals, but I don’t think they’ve really led that team this season. The Dutchman berated that as 'lazy criticism':“I didn’t hear him last year. It doesn’t hurt me. Just to come back to this particular player, obviously a legend, a big player of the game who inspired so many, I can say only positive things, but I feel that comment is just a bit of a lazy criticism."Following Liverpool's 1-0 UEFA Champions League home win in midweek, Rooney said on the Wayne Rooney show (via the BBC):"Maybe I was a bit unfair because I don't know him that well as a person. From a performance point of view, I was speaking about what I felt and what I was seeing, and I felt I was right."Van Dijk will judge himself by them (high standards). When he reflects on his performances this season, he'd be the first to say they haven't been at the standard he's set."The Reds are eighth in the Champions League league phase table after four games, with nine points from four games, winning three, while Madrid are a place above them on goal difference.What's next for Liverpool?Liverpool boss Arne SlotLiverpool have rediscovered their early-season mojo after a bit of slump that saw them lose four straight league games and get ousted from the EFL Cup. Arne Slot's side built on their win over Aston Villa with another over Real Madrid.The Reds now turn their attention back to the Premier League, where they next travel to Manchester City on Sunday (November 9). City are also coming off a win of their own in midweek, dismantling Borussia Dortmund 4-1 at home in the UEFA Champions League.Slot's side won 2-0 at home in the league in their last meeting with the Cityzens, in February, having also won by the same margin at the Etihad in December 2024 to complete a double.
