The circumstances of Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad are strikingly similar in some respects this season. The Jeddah duo enter a new phase built on injecting fresh blood, changing some personnel and bringing in a different coach.
These new projects, though, are colliding with a factor that looks tougher than any opponent on the pitch: the impatience of fans and media, and the demand for quick results.
While the two Jeddah giants stumble through a spell of confusion, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr keep looking the more stable pair.
Al-Hilal have already beaten Al-Ahli 3-0. A fierce wave of criticism erupted inside “Al-Raqi” afterwards, reaching the management, the coaching staff and some players, while the relationship with the sporting director ended amid the search to rebuild the project from scratch.
Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, face their toughest test of the season so far when they take on Al-Nassr this evening, Saturday, in Matchday 5 of the Roshn League.
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