Al-Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard has called for patience after his side lost 2-0 to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League on Monday.
Gerrard’s side dropped points last week after they were held to a 1-1 draw against Al-Khaleej in the league’s third round.
Their dip in form continued on Monday as Al-Ettifaq suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of record Asian champions Al-Hilal after another lacklustre display.
Despite going into the game without key duo Marcel Tisserand and Moussa Dembele, Al-Ettifaq had a few opportunities to score but the Dammam-based club had no end product.
After the defeat, Gerrard expressed his frustration over the lack of quality his side showed in transition and believes they will need time to improve.
“Very disappointed with the result and the outcome of the game,” Gerrard said in the press conference. “We have no complaints over the outcome.
“I think we deserved the defeat but I take full accountability and responsibility. In the first half, we tried to be organised and frustrate the opponent and attack them on the counter.
“We didn’t have the technical ability to create seven or eight chances to cause them problems and in the second half, we asked the players to be brave and raise the level.
“It could have been interesting if we scored a goal but overall, it wasn’t really enough to get a result out of the game.
“I think it’s easy to be disappointed and emotional at the moment but I took over a long-term project and we need time and support. I am confident we will close the gap to these teams,” he added.