£15m down the drain; Liverpool legend’s penchant for watching former club set to land him in hot water

Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard, is facing the sack from Al Ettifaq after a poor run of form and an admittance of watching his old club instead of training.

The 44-year-old’s reputation as a coach and manager had already been tarnished after his disastrous spell in charge of Aston Villa.

Despite that tumultuous few months at Villa Park, Harry Redknapp still thought it was a good idea to put Gerrard forward as a contender for the England job.

Steven Gerrard set to be sacked by Al Ettifaq

Fortunately for anyone that holds the future of the Three Lions dear, Thomas Tuchel was eventually appointed by the Football Association.

Whether Gerrard was one of the 10 people interviewed for the position isn’t clear, but Tuchel’s hire meant the former Liverpool ace and club legend would be staying put in Saudi Arabia.

It’s fair to say that Gerrard hasn’t really fared any better in the Saudi Pro League – the 72nd worst in the world (TeamForm) – than he did in the English top-flight as a manager.

Last season, per TNT Sports, Al Ettifaq finished in sixth on 48 points, exactly half of the points accrued by unbeaten champions, Al Hilal.

So far this season, Gerrard’s side have won three of their eight games, are placed 10th on 11 points and are already a remarkable 13 points behind Al Hilal, having not won any of their last five games.

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The Sun report that the complete loss of form has put Gerrard on the brink of the sack, though an interview with RedmenTV, in which he admitted structuring training sessions around Liverpool matches, is almost certain to be the final straw for club bosses.

That would mean the loss of a mammoth £15.2m a year contract, and with it, any credibility that Gerrard had left that he could be considered as a decent football manager.