Al-Nassr's heavy defeat to the UAE's Al-Ain did not pass unnoticed among the club's supporters. Fury erupted after the four-goal collapse, with fans turning their fire on several of the team's stars and on the coaching staff led by Australian Ange Postecoglou.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo could not escape. Some supporters held the captain partly responsible for the defeat, and the anger boiled over to the point where they branded his display "pitiful", given Al-Nassr's failure to threaten Al-Ain for long stretches of the match.
Postecoglou drew even sharper criticism. Fans felt the Australian had failed to deliver the impact they expected, with Al-Nassr looking short of clear solutions at both ends of the pitch. The calls for his dismissal grew loud.
Al-Nassr fans criticise Postecoglou
Much of the criticism zeroed in on Postecoglou's touchline reaction. Supporters read his calmness and his inability to change the shape of the game as proof that he lacks the answers to rescue the side. As one fan put it: "Ange's cold reaction shows that he is not the right coach for Al-Nassr".
Others urged the board to act fast if they want to steer the club back towards silverware. "Semedo, Simakan and the legend Cristiano Ronaldo need to be assessed", read one message, a call to review the futures of several key men after the crushing Asian collapse.
Demands for change and signings
A swift fix was the fans' answer to the crisis. "A quick solution without hesitation to bring Al-Nassr back, and if they want titles", one wrote, before laying out the demands plainly. Top of the list: "the dismissal of Ange", plus the signing of a Saudi-born midfielder and reinforcement at left-back with a player of the same calibre.
Such comments lay bare the scale of the anger in the Al-Nassr stands after the four-goal defeat. Fans had expected something very different from their return to the AFC Champions League Elite with Ronaldo and company back in the competition. Instead they left the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium beaten heavily, a result that reopened plenty of questions inside the club.