Steven Gerrard told to resign from £15.2m-a-year job after infuriating Saudi chiefs

Steven Gerrard has been told to step down as manager of Al-Ettifaq by pundits in Saudi Arabia after he sunk to a new low this week.

His team were dumped out of the Saudi Cup at the hands of a second-division team with Gerrard's team selection backfiring as he struggles to prove he is the man to take the club forward. The icon copped huge flack when he

He is 16 months into his mammoth £15.2m-a-year contract at Al-Ettifaq and led the club to sixth place in the last season.

This term though they are struggling in tenth spot with relegation a genuine possibility for the team. They haven't won a league game since September 14 and their cup defeat has only seen the pressure ramp up on Gerrard - with some onlookers claiming it is time for a change.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Saudi journalist Mohammed Al-Sadaan branded Gerrard's situation "sad" and urged him to step down whilst pundit Nasser Al-Jedaie said: "Gerrard served Al-Ettifaq outside the field, but there are no results for the technical work. What is the project that Gerrard is leading?"

The ex-Aston Villa boss has continued to surprise onlookers with some of his bizarre selection calls. In their recent defeat he chose to leave former Lyon frontman Moussa Dembele on the bench.

Gerrard is trying to resurrect his career as a manager after being sacked by Aston Villa, who have thrived following his departure. So far at Al-Ettifaq he has taken charge of 46 games and has a relatively average record of 17 wins, 15 losses and 14 draws.

The 44-year-old has also angered fans recently by confessing he gears training around being able to watch Liverpool - which means the team are often being put through their paces late at night.

He said on The Redmen TV: "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 was able to lure to the club immediately after arriving but the former Liverpool midfielder, who earned huge wages, only last a matter of months in Saudi before choosing to return to Europe with Ajax.

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our