Steven Gerrard threw himself under bus with Liverpool comments as £15m Saudi axe looms

Steven Gerrard could be set to deeply regret his comments about basing his current schedule around Liverpool games as he stands on the verge of the sack in Saudi Arabia. The 44-year-old is on the brink after his Al-Ettifaq side were dumped out of the King’s Cup following a 3-1 loss to second-division side Al-Jabalain.

The humiliation compounded what has been a ropey start to the season for the Pro League side, who lie 10th in the table after just 11 points from eight games.

It follows Gerrard’s maiden season in the Middle East where he led the club to sixth place, despite signing the likes of former Premier League stars Georginio Wijnaldum and Demarai Gray.

But in a recent interview with The Redmen TV, the former midfielder made some striking comments about his continued loyalty to the club where he was revered as a player. He brazenly admitted that he and goalkeeping coach John Achterburg, who joined Gerrard’s stuff in June this year after 15 years working at Anfield, based sessions around Liverpool games.

“John and I have got more than one eye on it. We put all our schedule around the Liverpool games,” he admitted. “The players are onto me now – we’ve been training at nine or 10 at night.”

Given Al-Ettifaq’s indifferent form, their manager prioritising watching Premier League matches on television is unlikely to have pleased club chiefs. Arab News have reported that the compromise, as well as Gerrard taking regular trips to Bahrain, have contributed to his future being the subject of club discussions.

Many fans and pundits have called for Gerrard to jump before he is pushed, and resign from his £15.2million-a-year position. But earlier this month, he insisted he would not be walking away, saying: “When I sign up to something I am loyal. I want to see it out.

“I would like to continue to build on the work that has been done on and off the pitch so far. I am on the pitch every single day. I am looking at other managers out here, competing against them. The league is going to continue to grow and I am in it, I am inside it.”

Regardless, a managerial career that initially started promisingly is now in danger of petering out for the Merseyside icon. Following retirement, he started out at Liverpool’s academy before taking charge of Rangers in 2018.

In his third season in charge, he ended the club’s decade-long wait for a Scottish Premiership title before leaving to take charge of Aston Villa early in the 2022/23 campaign. He could only lead the club to a 14th-placed finish though, and was then sacked after a dismal start the following season.

Gerrard has previously made no secret of his desire to one day manage Liverpool. He was initially touted by fans as the natural successor to Jurgen Klopp, an ambition seemingly derailed by his experience at Villa and subsequent move to Saudi.