Muhammad Noor questions Jens Wissing’s Al-Ittihad selections after Al Ain defeat

Muhammad Noor has criticised Al-Ittihad manager Jens Wissing after the Saudi club suffered a 4-1 home defeat by Al Ain in the fourth round of the AFC Champions League Elite.

The Al-Ittihad legend said the German coach made poor tactical decisions and managed the match as if he were in charge of a fully established side, despite the team still being in a phase of development.

Speaking on the Nadina programme, Noor said Wissing began the match with an unsuitable line-up and highlighted what he described as recurring problems with the team’s approach.

He questioned the decision to play Muhannad Al-Shanqiti at left-back, arguing that the player had already experienced difficulties when operating on the right side of the defence.

Noor said the performance against Al Ain was not pleasing to watch and suggested the manager had failed to take sufficient account of the weaknesses currently affecting Al-Ittihad.

“The Al-Ittihad we saw against Al Ain does not please the eye,” Noor said, while acknowledging that the squad was still being built.

He also challenged Wissing’s decision to select Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum from the start, describing the decision as an unsuccessful one.

Noor then delivered his strongest criticism of the manager, saying: “Wissing is being deceived by some players so far.”

The comments have intensified scrutiny of Wissing’s team selections and tactical decisions following a damaging defeat on home soil. The result has increased pressure on the coaching staff and raised questions over whether the German can address Al-Ittihad’s problems in the coming period.

Noor’s criticism focused not only on the final score but also on the manner in which the team approached the game. In his view, Wissing appeared to set up Al-Ittihad as though they were already an established contender, rather than adapting his plans to a squad that still has clear shortcomings.

The defeat by Al Ain therefore provided a wider source of concern for the former Al-Ittihad star, particularly over the balance of the starting XI and the use of players in unfamiliar or unsuitable positions.

Wissing’s choices will now face further examination as Al-Ittihad seek to recover from the result and improve their performances in the next stage of the season.