Stevie jeered: Reds legend’s dream sours in Saudi heat

As a player, Steven Gerrard forged a reputation as an unstoppable force, the captain who inspired his teammates to overcome impossible odds through heart and will.

- JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

Gerrard led by example, the talisman who made others believe. But, once again, he is faced with the reality that the art of management requires a different set of powers. As his departure from Al-Ettifaq by “mutual consent” – with the club struggling in midtable amid a run of just two league wins in 14 matches – cuts short his £15m-a-year sojourn in Saudi Arabia, Gerrard the manager appears destined to fall well below the achievements of Gerrard the player.

If taking the position at Al-Ettifaq in the first place, following a dismal end to his fraught spell in charge of Aston Villa, suggested an acceptance that another prominent job in Britain would be hard to come by, an actual resignation from the 12th best team in Saudi Arabia is a further blow to an already damaged managerial reputation. If it is hard to believe Gerrard was convinced he could rebuild his standing as a coach in Saudi, that there were reasons beyond financial to convince him AlEttifaq was an astute move to make, he may not have imagined falling to such a low instead.

Yet Al-Ettifaq’s desperation to keep Gerrard at all costs only prolonged his plight. His statement, released as his departure was eventually confirmed, showed he had gone awry. “Overall I have learnt a lot and it’s been a positive experience personally and for my family as well,” Gerrard said. “But football is unpredictable and sometimes things don’t go the way we want.”