Steven Gerrard has been told to resign by fans and pundits after Al-Ettifaq suffered a shock exit from the Saudi Cup losing to a second-division side.
Gerrard signed a mega £15.2 million per year contract just over 12 months ago to take charge of the Saudi Pro League side with his current deal set to run out in 2027. However, it’s not gone well this season with the side failing to register a league win in almost two months.
Now, their exit from the cup has put even more pressure on the Englishman, after he was criticised for admitting that he arranges training sessions for certain times so he can watch his former club Liverpool play.
In an interview with Redmen TV, Gerrard said: “‘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.”
The news didn’t go down well with supporters and journalists in the Middle East who called for him to go after becoming confused by recent team selections. Gerrard opted to bench former Celtic and Lyon forward Moussa Dembele who is the club’s top scorer.
(Image: Getty Images)
Fans took to social media to express their opinion following last weekend’s draw in the league, with one saying: “By God, Gerrard is making fun of himself. I have never seen a failed coach who has a lot of excellent names and doesn’t know how to employ them properly.
Another said the situation at Ettifaq “will not change” as long as Gerrard is in charge. His tactics and selections have come under fire a lot recently with Saudi-based journalist Al-Jedaie very critical of the scouser.
“Gerrard served Al-Ettifaq outside the field, but there are no results for the technical work. What is the project that Gerrard is leading?” he said.
Gerrard’s late-night schedule to accommodate Liverpool matches is likely a big reason for the slump in form. No wonder supporters are angry if he cares more about watching his beloved Reds do well that his current side.