Al-Ittihad at a crossroads: has the dream ended before it began?

The problem is not that Al-Ittihad drew with Al-Khaleej. The season is still in its early stages, and it makes no sense to issue a final verdict on a team based on a single match. What is striking is that the scenario brings to mind a problem "The Dean" has long suffered from: a big performance followed by an unexpected stumble, as if victories never turn into a sustained state.

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Those four goals against Al-Jazira raised expectations sharply and had fans anticipating the same level in the league. The encounter with Al-Khaleej revealed that the road is still long. Al-Ittihad need more than one exceptional night to prove they have become a team capable of competing consistently.

One cannot ignore the circumstances the Al-Khaleej encounter witnessed, foremost among them the sending-off of Danilo Pereira. The incident directly affected the course of the match and forced Al-Ittihad to play an important part of it with ten men, which handed the opponent the chance to come back and snatch the draw.

But even factoring in the sending-off, the current signs are worth dwelling on. Al-Ittihad still need further reinforcements. The gulf between the fans' ambitions and what this squad actually offers looks clear, and plenty of football experts have said as much.

Mohammed Noor, the Al-Ittihad legend, went beyond the team's need for signings and pointed to the discontent among the fans. He stressed that Al-Ittihad "have not received the support that would allow them to attract players", and that the limited financial resources make building a strong team more complicated.

Here lies the real problem. Al-Ittihad do not just need to restore their technical level. They need a squad capable of enduring a long season and competing with clubs boasting wide-ranging options. Leaning on a small group of players might be enough to produce one big performance, but it guarantees nothing over the course of a campaign.

It is far too early to say the dream is over or that Al-Ittihad's new project has failed. They have played only one league match, with dozens more still ahead to correct the course. Circumstances at the start of a season differ from those at its midpoint, and the squad could yet change before the transfer window closes.

The early signs, though, are hard to ignore. Al-Ittihad need to turn the four goals against Al-Jazira into a genuine start rather than a fleeting moment. They must prove the draw with Al-Khaleej came from exceptional circumstances, not the continuation of an old pattern that recurs after every big win.

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Supporters aren't chasing a miracle. They want clear signs the team is heading in the right direction: quality reinforcements, technical stability, the ability to hold their level, and a stronger character in the matches they are supposed to settle.

This is not a final verdict. It is an early crossroads. Either Al-Ittihad treat the stumble against Al-Khaleej as a warning worth addressing and turn those four goals against Al-Jazira into a genuine springboard, or they let the season unfold the way their fans have grown used to seeing: a win that raises hopes, then a stumble that sends everyone back to square one.