Steven Gerrard's Liverpool joke that has left him hanging onto Saudi job by a thread

Steven Gerrard has had to backtrack connected a gag that has angered fans successful Saudi Arabia aft suggesting that helium chooses to ticker Liverpool up of putting connected Al-Ettifaq's grooming sessions

Steven Gerrard is struggling for results astatine Al-Ettifaq - and helium won't person endeared himself to the hierarchy with jokes astir watching Liverpool.

The Anfield fable is continuing his managerial vocation successful Saudi Arabia, but determination is speech of the sack with his broadside sat successful midtable. Al-Ettifaq person won conscionable 2 of their past 8 games and were precocious knocked retired of the King Cup by little league opposition.

Gerrard is under unit to crook things around but seems to beryllium much funny successful keeping tabs connected Liverpool than helium does improving the fortunes of his Saudi outfit.

The ex-Aston Villa brag managed to lure John Achterberg retired to the Middle East with him - different antheral with Liverpool connections. And helium joked that helium rejigs grooming truthful that it frees him up to ticker the Reds play, forcing players to transportation retired sessions astatine night.

He told Redmen TV : "Myself and John person got much than 1 oculus connected it. We've enactment each our docket astir the Liverpool games! The players are onto maine present - we've been grooming astatine 9 oregon 10 astatine night!"

Those comments resulted successful a immense backlash with Gerrard and his Al-Ettifaq charges failing to conscionable expectations. The ex-Red has endured respective setbacks during his tenure, 1 of those being the swift departure of Jordan Henderson, who turned his backmost connected his lucrative woody with the club.

Gerrard has had to travel retired and clarify his Liverpool comments, insisting that improving Al-Ettifaq is his priority. Prior to Saturday's derby against Al-Qadsiah - a crippled they mislaid - helium said: "I americium alert of wherever this has each travel from. I was connected a podcast trying to rise wealth for a children’s foundation to marque the foundation past and continue.

"I was asked if I inactive followed Liverpool and I said 'Of people I inactive travel Liverpool.' They played a immense portion successful my beingness and shaped maine arsenic a player, idiosyncratic and coach.

"But I privation to marque it abundantly wide my precedence is Ettifaq, I person a declaration with Ettifaq and I americium successful a existent privileged position. I respect each my erstwhile clubs - Liverpool, Aston Villa, Rangers and LA Galaxy - but my main interest is this occupation and trying to marque this nine arsenic bully arsenic possible, connected and disconnected the field. I americium all-in and I volition proceed to beryllium all-in."

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