Jens Wissing is back in the firing line. The German, head coach of Al Ittihad, has watched criticism mount as results have slipped, with supporters who expected the club to build on a positive start now venting their frustration. Defeats to Al Hilal and Shabab Al Ahli have piled pressure on the coaching staff and thrown his future into doubt.
Sports media figure Abdullah Falatah has leapt to the German's defence, warning against a rushed call on his replacement. His argument to Al Ittihad's new board is simple: judge Wissing on the resources he actually has, not against clubs with different technical options and personnel, a nod towards Al Hilal, Al Ahli, Al Nassr and Al Qadsiah.
Falatah told the "Thmanyah" network of channels that any thought of sacking Wissing now is a decision crying out for a rethink, and he stressed the gulf between Al Ittihad's resources and those of their direct rivals.
"If Al Ittihad's new board is thinking about changing the coach Jens Wissing, then good luck!" the sports media figure said. "We have to realise that he does not have the tools available to the coaches of Al Hilal, Al Ahli, Al Nassr and Al Qadsiah, and he must be treated fairly in any assessment of his work."
The message to the board could hardly be blunter. Results alone shouldn't decide the coach's fate, not when the quality of players at his disposal and the gaps between the clubs make building a competitive system a very different job in Jeddah.
Read also: the reason behind Al Ittihad's defeats: a financial crisis derailing Wissing's spell
Al Ittihad went down 3-2 to Al Hilal in the clasico of the eighth round of the Saudi Roshn League, a game that laid bare their defensive problems even as they scored twice and dragged themselves back into it at times.
Then came the continental blow. A 2-1 loss to the UAE's Shabab Al Ahli Dubai in the AFC Champions League Elite turned the screw on Wissing further, all the more so for a team that had targeted a strong start at home and abroad.