Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is facing calls to be sacked from his role as manager of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq after suffering a shock exit from the King’s Cup on Wednesday. The legendary midfielder is a little over a year into his £15.2m-per-year deal in the Middle East and led the club to a sixth-place finish last season.
However, Gerrard's team currently find themselves 10th in the league, having not won a game since early September. After the humiliating defeat to second-division Al-Jabalain FC in the knockout competition, many are questioning the 44-year-old's managerial ability and his priorities in Saudi Arabia.
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Steven Gerrard has had a difficult start to life in Saudi Arabia, but he is expected to be given the time to turn Al-Ettifaq's fortunes around.
Following the 3-1 loss on Wednesday, Al-Ettifaq fans have been quick to call out their manager for his recent team selections, with some going as far as to say that ‘he doesn’t know how to put together a lineup.’ Many were left scratching their heads when Gerrard left star striker and former Celtic man Moussa Dembele out on the night, as well as the in-form Majed Duran.
While other familiar European names, such as goalkeeper Marek Rodak and Dutchman Georginio Wijnaldum, started, it was not enough to avoid the shock upset. This has only added to the Liverpool hero’s woes, with prominent Saudi Arabian pundits and journalists already calling for him to walk away from his job.
Additionally, the midfielder - largely seen as one of the greatest in Premier League history - has faced criticism for admitting he schedules training around Liverpool games to watch them. In an interview with Redmen TV, as quoted by the Daily Mail, Gerrard stated:
"John [Achterberg, goalkeeping coach] and I have got more than one eye on it. We put all our schedule around the Liverpool games. The players are onto me now; we’ve been training at 9 or 10 at night."
This admission appears to have alienated the manager even further from the Al-Ettifaq fanbase who believe that Gerrard is not taking his job seriously.
Steven Gerrard appeared to be coming under pressure at Al-Ettifaq, but the Liverpool icon has agreed a contract extension in Saudi Arabia.