Steven Gerrard facing sack from £15.2m job after embarrassing defeat and scheduling training around Liverpool games
STEVEN GERRARD is fighting for his job in the Saudi Pro League.
Gerrard, 44, is facing the sack from his role as Al-Ettifaq manager after a string of poor form was compounded by a shock cup exit this week.
The former Liverpool and England icon is now 16 months into his whopping £15.2m-per-year contract in the Middle East.
And things have got off to a torrid start this season with his star-studded side winning just three of their opening eight league games.
While things got worse on Wednesday as Al-Ettifaq crashed out of Saudi Arabia‘s biggest cup competition to a second division side.
Gerrard’s team lost 3-1 to Al-Jabalain in the King Cup of Champions round of 16, with the former Aston Villa boss choosing to bench star man Moussa Dembele.
The Dammam based club are currently 10th in the Saudi Pro League, only five points above the drop, despite boasting a squad with players such as Dembele, Georginio Wijnaldum and Demarai Gray.
Pressure is mounting on Gerrard as fans and pundits are beginning to voice their concern over his ability to lead the team to success.
Al-Ettifaq managed a sixth place finish under his guidance last season, finishing some 48 POINTS behind champions Al-Hilal.
Fans online appear to have lost their patience with one writing: “I’ve been watching and following Al-Ettifaq since 2001 , honestly he’s the worst coach who came to the club.
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“I truly believe he’s not even a coach. He lacks everything, tactics, spirit, motivation, and even worse his press statements are awful. I’m wondering how he survived with Aston Villa.”
Gerrard hasn’t exactly endeared himself to the Al-Ettifaq fans, admitting recently that he plans his team’s training sessions around Liverpool fixtures.
Speaking to The Redmen TV, he 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.”
Gerrard’s side are winless in five in the league, with their last victory coming against rock bottom Al-Fateh on September 14.
They face fifth placed side Al-Qadisiyah on Saturday with Gerrard very much under the microscope for the home fixture.
Gerrard lasted less than a year at Aston Villa where he was sacked after a run of games that saw Villa win just once in eight attempts and left the club 17th in the league.
His replacement, Unai Emery, has guided Villa back into the Champions League since taking over at the Midlands club.