Despite the setbacks in the league and Asia: Al-Ittihad settles its position on sacking Visinic
An uncertain future awaits the German manager!
Jens Wiesing is under the microscope. The German's position at Al-Ittihad has come into question after a run of poor results that has turned supporters and the media against him, starting with the 3-2 Clasico defeat to Al-Hilal in the Roshn League and followed by a 2-1 loss to Shabab Al-Ahli of the UAE in the AFC Champions League Elite. The club's board, though, see things rather differently to the angry masses.
Media reports citing an official source inside Al-Ittihad say the board has no intention of sacking Wiesing at this stage, despite the criticism aimed his way after those two stumbles. They view him as a coach with a long-term project and plan to give him the support he needs to hit the club's targets.
Defensive errors cost Al-Ittihad the points against Al-Hilal. The same problems resurfaced against Shabab Al-Ahli, where the side shipped two goals from mistakes the German coach called easy ones, throwing away a game he had hoped would make up for his domestic setback.
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Wiesing admitted after the Asian tie that his side had not produced the level required, and stressed the need to analyse the mistakes and work on correcting them.
Pressure or no pressure, the Al-Ittihad board look in no rush to part with the coach they signed last July on a contract running until 2028. That stance reflects a desire to let the coaching staff build something more stable rather than pull the trigger again so soon after he took charge.
What the board want in return is clear. Wiesing must use their backing to plug the defensive gaps and sharpen the decision-making on the pitch, particularly as Al-Ittihad's positive start has raised expectations and left supporters waiting for results to match the club's ambitions.
The coming matches shape up as a serious test of the German's ability to restore balance and prove the decision to keep him rests on achievable indicators.
