Steven Gerrard faces demands to RESIGN from his £15.2m-a-year Saudi job after he infuriated Al-Ettifaq with loss to second-division team, dire form – and setting training so he could watch Liverpool!

Fans and pundits have called for Steven Gerrard to resign as coach of Al-Ettifaq after his team suffered a shock exit from the Saudi Arabian Cup at the hands of a second division side on Wednesday night.

Gerrard is 16 months into his £15.2million-a-year contract with Al-Ettifaq and led the club to sixth place in the Saudi Pro League last season.

But this season they are in 10th place after failing to record a league win since September 14, and fell to a new low on Wednesday when they were beaten 3-1 by lower league side Al-Jabalain and eliminated. of the Copa Rey in the last final. -16 stage.

Gerrard decided to start with former Celtic and Lyon striker Moussa Dembélé on the bench and his team selection failed disastrously. Gerrard’s tactics have left fans perplexed, with some fearing the Englishman could drag down Al-Ettifaq even further if he remains in charge.

Following last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Al Feiha, one fan posted on social media: “My God, Gerrard is making a fool of himself. I’ve never seen a failed manager who has a lot of great names and doesn’t know how to do it.” use them properly.

“Dembele is a substitute and is the top scorer, and Majed Duran is one of the best talents. May God help the Al-Ettifaq fans.”

Another fan added earlier this week: “Al-Ettifaq’s situation will not change with Gerrard at the helm of the coaching staff.”

Complaints about Gerrard’s starting XI have become common in recent weeks. After losing 3-2 to Al-Orobah on October 20, another desperate fan wrote: “I was very optimistic before the match, but when I saw the lineup, I washed my hands.” In every game there is confusion and name changes.

‘He has confused me and all the experts about how to draw the line-up that Mr Gerrard has been in for seven or eight rounds so far. “He’s been around since last season and doesn’t know how to put together a lineup.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia-based expert Nasser Al-Judaie has been fiercely critical of Gerrard’s management.

He said: ‘Gerrard served Al-Ettifaq off the field, but there are no results from the technical work. What is the project that Gerrard is leading?

Sports journalist Turki Al-Ajmah also believes Gerrard has run out of time after Al-Ettifaq’s latest humiliation, while his colleague Mohammed Al-Sadaan called Gerrard’s situation “sad” and urged him to resign.

The pressure is mounting on Gerrard, and he did little to endear himself to Al-Ettifaq fans when he recently admitted that he organizes training sessions at the club at certain times so he can watch his beloved Liverpool play.

Speaking to The Redmen TV, he said: “John (Achterberg, goalkeeping coach) and I have more than one eye on it. “We center our entire schedule around the Liverpool games.

‘The players are all over me now; We’ve been training at 9 or 10 at night.’

That schedule doesn’t seem to be working for Gerrard and his team at the moment as they continue their quest for their first league win in more than six weeks.

Their terrible form has left them just five points above the relegation zone, and fans are worried they could be heading into a fight at the bottom of the table if things don’t turn around quickly.

Gerrard has yet to convince on the wing after leaving England behind to move to the Middle East.

He lured former Liverpool teammate Jordan Henderson to Al-Ettifaq last year, but that reunion was short-lived as the England international left Saudi Arabia in January to join Ajax.

Results have not improved since then for Al-Ettifaq, and Gerrard may be running out of time to save his job.

To date he has directed 46 matches at Al-Ettifaq and currently has a mediocre record of 17 wins, 15 losses and 14 draws.