'We need to be ruthless' - Steven Gerrard demands new signings at Al-Ettifaq after stretching winless run to eight games

Al-Ettifaq manager Gerrard says the club need to show that they "mean business" and recruit some more players next month, despite signing Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Moussa Dembélé and Demarai Gray in the summer.

"We need to show in this window, and also the summer window, that we mean business and we want to be competitive at the top of the league, and not where we are at the moment," Gerrard said after the defeat to Al Nassr.

"It's a collective thing -- the players here and now need to give more, and people need to step up and, at the right time, we will hopefully be able to make significant changes to the team and the squad. Hopefully at the back end of January you will see a different, stronger and more competitive squad.

"We have already had important meetings at Al Ettifaq in terms of mid-season updates and where every individual is, and where the group is at. The message, in summary, that we have sent is that we need to be aggressive, we need to be ruthless, and we need to make a lot of changes to make this team more competitive."

His side's 3-1 loss to Al-Nassr on Friday means they sit eighth in the table and are seeking their first win since October. Gerrard's stock as a manager has fallen following his time at Aston Villa and if he were continue to struggle in the Saudi Pro League, that could spell doom for his career in the dugout. His current win percentage at Al-Ettifaq is 35.

Gerrard's team return to league action on Thursday, December 28, when they face bottom of the table Al-Hazm.