Former Rangers man under pressure as 'frontrunner' emerges for vacant job
Rangers are back in Europa League action this week
Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has the been the subject of booing by Al-Ettifaq supporters. The Saudi Pro League side have seen a slump in form over recent times.
They have won only once in their last seven fixtures and have dropped down to 11th place. Their head coach is starting to feel the heat and fans are getting frustrated.
Al-Ettifaq lost 2-0 to Al Qadsiah last time out and Al-Youm have claimed the club are weighing up what to do with Gerrard. He has said: "I spoke to the players. If we had performed like this before, we would not have put ourselves in this embarrassing situation, but I bear the responsibility. We conceded the first goal from a set piece. Previously, we used to defend better from set pieces. The second goal was scored by a young player, and he made the same mistake he made against Al-Fayha. The player is young, and I bear responsibility for the second goal.
"I bear full responsibility for using a young player in defence, as he has little experience. His recruitment was to prepare him for development and the future, and using him was not appropriate, but due to injuries, we were put in this position."
Rangers handed Gerrard their managerial position back in 2018. He spent the majority of his playing days at Liverpool before ending his career at LA Galaxy in MLS.
The 44-year-old guided the Gers to the Scottish Premiership title ahead of rivals Celtic back in 2021. Aston Villa then lured him away from Ibrox but he lasted only 11 months in charge at Villa Park after struggling to make an impact in the Midlands.
Al-Ettifaq raised eyebrows when they persuaded him to move over to the Middle East in July last year. He is under a bit of pressure now though and it remains to be seen whether they will keep hold of him.
Ex-Rangers boss in frame for job
Ex-Rangers manager Grame Murty is emerging as a frontrunner for the Hartlepool United job, according to journalist Alan Nixon on Patreon. The 49-year-old is currently the Under-21’s coach at Sunderland but is attracting attention from the non-league outfit.
The Pools are in the hunt for a replacement for Darren Sarll and have a big decision to make on who to bring in next as they look to return to the Football League as soon as they can. They are positioned in 15th place in the National League and have won only five games from their first 17.
Murty joined the Gers back in 2016 after spells as a player with the likes of York City, Reading and Southampton. He then worked his way up the coaching ranks of the Glasgow giants and was handed the top job back in 2017 after a stint in caretaker charge.
The Saltburn-born man won 62.87% of matches in charge at Rangers before cutting ties with them. He has been with Sunderland since 2022 and their first-team are currently eyeing promotion to the Premier League.