Breaking News: Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard breaks silence on surprise decision after Al-Ettifaq sacking

Following the amicable departure of Mark Allen and Dean Holden, Liverpool star Steven Gerrard reconnected with Michael Beale last week.

Following the unexpected return of former assistant Michael Beale, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard says Al-Ettifaq needs time to grow and improve. After Mark Allen and Dean Holden were abruptly fired from Al-Ettifaq, the former manager of QPR and Sunderland joined the 44-year-old in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Pro League team announced earlier this month that they had mutually agreed to fire assistant manager Holden and executive sporting director Allen. Ettifaq’s elimination from the King Cup and their struggle to qualify for the AFC Champions League represent the most recent development in Gerrard’s time in the Middle East.

Ettifaq lost to Al Riyadh on Sunday, extending their winless streak to eight games. Their most recent victory was a 2-0 cup victory over Al-Adalah of the Saudi First Division in September. Then, when Al Jabalain defeated Gerrard’s Ettifaq 3-1, lower-league opponents eliminated them from the competition, which led to the structural changes in Dammam.

After working with Gerrard at Rangers and Aston Villa before starting his own management career, Beale was appointed as the new assistant manager last week, maintaining their relationship.

“The club made decisions regarding the departure of Mark Allen and Dean Holden,” Gerrard stated. “It was also decided to bring in Michael Beale, who is an incredible coach; we had been together for years, and it’s wonderful to have him back with me.

“Now we need some time to develop and improve.”

The former Liverpool captain’s schedule is packed with games, including a Saturday matchup against league leaders Al Ittihad. At the moment, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr is in third place, while Ettifaq is in 12th place, five points above the bottom three but ten points outside of the AFC Champions League spots.

Gerrard will be hoping his team can defeat the championship contenders, who have won all of their games since losing to rival Al Hilal in September.