Steven Gerrard Faces Fan Demands to Quit Al-Ettifaq After Fourth Defeat in Six Saudi Pro League Games
The pressure is increasing for Steven Gerrard at Al Ettifaq with the fans now openly hostile against the former Liverpool captain. After his players lost against Al Qadsiah last Saturday, there were boos around the stadium, with the team recording the fourth defeat in six league games.
Al Ettifaq are now in 11th position in the Saudi Pro League and are set to drop down even further when they face a wounded Al Hilal on Friday evening. They started the season well, winning their first three matches, and by the end of matchday three, they were 3rd on the table. After a matchday four 3-0 defeat against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, Al Ettifaq started their descent on the table. Since then, they have been defeated four times and drawn in two matches.
Gerrard is on a lucrative contract at Al Ettifaq, earning over $15 million a year, but he has failed to deliver on the pitch. After the latest defeat against newly promoted Al Qadsiah, Gerrard’s attempts to thank the crowd were met with boos and hostility.
Despite receiving support in the transfer market, Gerrard has failed to build a cohesive team capable of consistently winning matches. Once touted as the heir apparent to the Liverpool manager job, Gerrard has had mixed results as manager.
In his first managerial role at Rangers, he finished the season unbeaten while winning the Scottish Premiership. At Aston Villa, however, he struggled, and by the time he was dismissed, the team was in 17th place, only missing the relegation zone on goal difference. Should his time at Al Ettifaq end at this stage, this would be another blow to his career and possibly end his time in the dugout.
