Steven Gerrard at risk of facing similar fate to former Liverpool stars amid Saudi Arabia struggles

Steven Gerrard's days in Saudi Arabia could be numbered following a poor run of form with Al-Ettifaq. The Liverpool legend has won just seven of his 21 games in charge since taking the role last July and the team are now without a win since early November.

According to The Guardian, the pressure is mounting on Gerrard's shoulders and he could soon be the next manager to be axed from his role in the Saudi Pro League. There have already been 13 coaching changes this season, and Al-Ettifaq alone have overhauled 30 managers since 2000.

Saudi Arabia are typically ruthless with their decision making. Nuno Espírito Santo, who recently became the new Nottingham Forest manager, was sacked just five months after leading Al-Ittihad to the SPL title. Fellow Anfield icon Robbie Fowler left his role with Al-Qadsiah in October after less than four months in charge, with a 75 percent win rate and no losses recorded.

Igor Bišćan was also sent packing in December, after just two months at the hilt of Al-Shabab. It is suggested that Gerrard's status and reputation as a legendary former player has kept him off the chopping block for this long but his run of form has started to leave him vulnerable.

The 43-year-old initially made a big splash in his new role, starting with his statement signing of ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. He then reunited the midfielder with former teammate Georginio Wijnaldum, and also added the likes of Demarai Gray and Moussa Dembele to his ranks.

Al-Ettifaq turned a lot of heads when they kicked off their league campaign with a win over Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. They then went eight games with just one loss on the board but as the end of 2023 approached, form dipped and Al-Ettifaq are now eighth in the table, and surprisingly, just eight points above the relegation zone.

Gerrard's well-respected career has seemingly kept him out of the merciless Pro League jaws up until now. It's difficult to predict how long his status alone will keep him afloat but form needs to improve if his managerial record to follow suit.