Pressure Mounts as Tony and Jaissle Face the Heat in Al Ahli’s Title Bid

Performance under pressure as Al Ahli's title bid stalls

A panel of Saudi football veterans agrees that Al Ahli Jeddah may not be among the title contenders this season if they persist with their current approach. The club earned another point in a 1-1 draw with Al Riyadh in Week 7, continuing a run of dropped points after earlier draws with Al Hilal, Al Shabab and Al Ettifaq.

Analysts discuss the reasons behind Al Ahli's inconsistencies and argue the competition remains stiff, especially after the club consumed Asia’s confederation prestige by lifting the AFC Champions League for Elite last season and the Saudi Super Cup a few months back.

Tony's form and Jaissle's plan under the microscope

Former Saudi coach Khaled Al Atawi criticized English striker Ivan Tony, saying he should be the player to tip the scales given his pedigree after moving to the league. He remarked that Tony is still not delivering beyond penalties.

Tony has 11 goals in 15 appearances across all competitions this season with two assists, yet Al Atawi notes he was largely invisible against Al Riyadh and does not seem to be actively driving improvements on the pitch.

Imad Al Hosani, a former Al Ahli star who played for Brentford, says the player used to stand out for smart positioning in the attack but this season his movement and pace look slow and off the mark. He suggests Jaissle’s system is not enabling Tony to showcase his prime abilities, despite the signing touted as a major Premier League-level upgrade.

Other pundits argue that the league is tough and Jaissle must adapt his ideas. Critics complain about a reluctance to substitute underperforming players, while fans urge the coach to prioritize the team over individual names, even proposing that Saleh Abu Al Shamat should start ahead of Matheus Goncalves to spark the attack. The absence of Brazil’s Galeno due to injury is also cited as a blow to the team’s attacking shape.

Referee verdict, derby danger and standings

In the 1-1 draw with Riyadh, a controversial officiating debates drew attention from Al Ahli supporters who accused the referee as they left the field. Jordanian match official Ahmed Abu Khdeija told Al Youm that there was no penalty for Al Ahli in the 41st minute and that the ball did not touch a Riyadh defender’s hand; he defended the decision to play on. He also asserted there was contact in the box that could have supported a later penalty for Al Ahli, but the primary decision stood as correct.

Meanwhile, Ziad Al Juhani will miss the upcoming derby against Al Ittihad in the Jeddah showdown after his red card against Riyadh. With the draw, Al Ahli sit on 13 points in fifth place, five points behind the leaders as the round nears completion.

Punchline time: If Al Ahli’s plan were a comedy sketch, the punchline would be Tony scoring only from penalties while Jaissle keeps tinkering the script. And if tactics were a weapon, Jaissle’s playbook would require a fast-forward, because the league clock isn’t waiting for slow formations to finish the scene.