Why Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard is not in charge of Al-Ettifaq this weekend amid sack pressure

Steven Gerrard will be hoping he can oversee a period of improvement at Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq, though those plans will have to be put on hold. The team managed by the Liverpool icon have struggled to hit targets throughout the opening stint of the 2024/25 campaign.

In continental competition they have been impervious, though domestically it has been an entirely different picture. Recently going almost three months without Saudi Pro League victory whilst also exiting the King's Cup to lower-league Al-Jabalain has seen Gerrard put under intense scrutiny from local media and booing supporters.

Last weekend he and Al-Ettifaq managed to turn a corner by grabbing their first league win in 10 outings, so why is the former Liverpool captain not in the dugout this weekend to try and turn that lone triumph into a winning streak? The ECHO has the answers.

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Winter break

In short, Gerrard will not be taking charge of his team this weekend because they have just started their six-week winter break. Whilst the rest provides time to recuperate, he may feel it has come at the wrong time because of that recent win vs Al-Khaleej, in which former Red Gini Wijnaldum got on the scoresheet.

They will have to wait for their next scheduled fixture on January 10, 2025, against Al Kholood. In the meantime Gerrard's squad have undertaken a week of training and now will be given a break until December 27, say Ettifaq, when they will meet in Abu Dhabi for a training camp.

Improvement demanded

Prior to that long-awaited victory, Gerrard had made a clear demand of his players.

"We must improve in the league. We aim to win the next match to enter the break with high morale. It's important to build on today's performance and not feel like we've achieved perfection. We need to carry this performance into the next match," he said as his side struggled domestically yet remained unbeaten in the GCC Champions League.

Surprise sackings

Stuck in disarray, Al-Ettifaq chiefs made the brutal decision to sack Gerrard's assistant Dean Holden and sporting director Mark Allen last month as part of structural changes.

It was then confirmed that Michael Beale - who was the 44-years-old's assistant at both Rangers and Aston Villa - would be taking the vacant assistant spot. He had struggled to get his own managerial career off the ground at Queens Park Rangers, Rangers and Sunderland.

"The club made decisions regarding the departure of Mark Allen and Dean Holden. The decision was also made to bring Michael Beale in who is a super coach, we spent years together previously and it's great to have him back with me," Gerrard responded, though pleaded: "Now we need some time to develop and improve."

Relegation picture

After their victory over Al-Khaleej, Gerrard's side moved up to 11th in the Saudi Pro League with a tally of 15 points. It opened up a six-point gap to the relegation zone with 13 of 34 matches played.

However as Al-Ettifaq have backed the Liverpool icon with more than £30m since he arrived, the pressure is really on him to take the team further up the table.

Qualification for the AFC Champions League is awarded to only the top three of the 18-team division, and third-place Al-Qadsiah still hold a 13-point advantage over Gerrard's strugglers.

Bar a drastic change in circumstances, it seems he will be trusted beyond the winter break to oversee a positive upturn in the New Year.