Steven Gerrard: The Only Thing Keeping Al Ettifaq from Sacking Legend Amid 2 Month Winless Run

• Steven Gerrard’s managerial career is not going according to plan
• The former Aston Villa boss is coming under pressure at Al-Ettifaq
• His Saudi team has only scored three goals in the last nine games

Steven Gerrard is the latest football legend to learn that being a good player does not always guarantee success as a manager.

Latest reports now suggest the Liverpool legend is in danger of losing his job amid a torrid run in charge of the Saudi Pro League side.

The 43-year-old was appointed as Al-Ettifaq manager in July 2023 and there was a lot of optimism surrounding the appointment as he brought some big names to the club, including his former teammate, Jordan Henderson.

Moussa Dembele, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Demarai Gray also joined the Saudi Arabian giants, who were expected to be highly competitive in the top flight.

Jose Mourinho names one African player who was key in 2-0 win over Napoli

Football

Al-Ettifaq’s poor form under Gerrard

In the 2023/24 season, Al-Ettifaq has struggled in the league under Gerrard's management, winning just seven of their last 21 games, according to GOAL.

The stats get worse as his team's last win in all competitions was two months ago, a run of form that sees them just eight points above the relegation zone.

League action does not resume in Saudi Arabia until February 15, and the break presumably came at an ideal time for Al-Ettifaq’s stakeholders as they have time to ponder on the club’s short-term future and how to turn fortunes around.

According to The Guardian, Gerrard might not survive long enough to manage the Saudi Pro League strugglers' next game, which is more than a month away.

The report states that the only thing helping the former Liverpool man retain his current job is his status as one of the best midfielders in Premier League history.

Kylian Mbappe likes Arsenal star's Instagram post, leaving Gunners fans dreaming of a transfer

Football

It is an unfortunate turn to Gerrard’s managerial career, as only two years ago, he was being touted as Jurgen Klopp’s potential successor at the Merseysiders.

Gerrard’s take on Al-Ettifaq's form

However, it is not like the Liverpool legend is not aware of the current predicament facing his club.

Gerrard believes investing in new signings in January could be the difference between success and failure for Al-Ettifaq this season.

"We need to be aggressive, we need to be ruthless, and we need to make a lot of changes to make this team more competitive," he said in December after his side drew 1-1 against bottom-placed Al-Hazem.

Could Ronaldo and son play together?

Elsewhere, Al-Taawoun’s Alvaro Medran recently gave Cristiano Ronaldo the ultimate compliment as he tilled the Portuguese superstar to play alongside his son in a professional football match.

As Sports Brief previously reported, the midfielder, whose side took on Al-Nassr in their final game of the year, spoke about how he hoped the Portuguese superstar would team up with Cristiano Junior.

Medran, who is admittedly a massive fan of the former Manchester United star, said he believed the father and son duo would compete to see who was better and who would take the penalty kicks.