Wayne Rooney(Image: The Wayne Rooney Show/BBC)

Wayne Rooney has criticised Unai Emery's tactics in Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Villa twice hit the post and could have been in the lead before Mo Salah broke the deadlock by capitalising on Emi Martinez's error trying to play out from the back.

Arne Slot's side went on to grab a second through Ryan Gravenberch, while Emery defended his goalkeeper and said he was playing the way the manager wants him to play.

For Rooney, who during his time in management has had a hand in relegations at Derby County, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle, that was the wrong tactic.

Instead, he said, Villa should have utilised Ollie Watkins' mobility and tried to find him more directly.

Rooney told the BBC: “I think, watching the game, I just thought – what were Aston Villa doing?

"Arne Slot even came out and said they struggle with long balls, and Liverpool are a very good pressing team.

“They had warning signs before the Salah goal, and they keep trying to play out from the back – in...