Steven Gerrard faced the wrath of Al-Ettifaq fans, who chanted ‘get out’ after losing his fourth game in six. The Liverpool legend’s side dropped to 11th in the Saudi Pro League following a 2-0 defeat to Al-Qadsiah on home soil at the weekend.
Despite earning over £15m a year in the Middle East, Gerrard couldn’t lead his squad to victory. After the game, he tried to thank the home crowd but he was met with a chorus of boss.
Speaking to reporters, Gerrard took responsibility for the disappointing defeat. As quoted by the Mirror, he said: “I spoke to the players. If we had performed like this before, we would not have put ourselves in this embarrassing situation, but I bear the responsibility.”
The former England international lamented the first goal that his side conceded from a set piece – a stark contrast to their previous defensive solidity. The second goal stemmed from a young player repeating an earlier unfortunate mistake against Al-Fayha.
Gerrard said: “The player is young, and I bear responsibility for the second goal. I bear full responsibility for using a young player in defence, as he has little experience.
“His recruitment was to prepare him for development and the future, and using him was not appropriate, but due to injuries, we were put in this position.”
Gerrard took the reins at Al-Ettifaq last summer, bringing in a slew of signings including Jordan Henderson, who left after a brief stint, Moussa Dembele, Giorginio Wijnaldum, Demarai Gray and former Lyon forward Karl Koko Ekambi. In his debut season, he guided the Saudi outfit to a sixth-place finish.
