Terim turnaround: How Turkish legend has stirred Al Shabab | OneFootball

There was, with good reason, a lot of optimism at Al Shabab heading into this Roshn Saudi League season.

After a difficult 2023-24 campaign for the majority, the Riyadh club showed signs in the final 10 weeks that things were on an upward trajectory with impressive Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira as manager.

While the loss of Croatia legend Ivan Rakitic was a blow, Al Shabab retained the services - albeit on loan again - of one of the Kingdom’s most exciting talents: Musab Al Juwayr.

The additional signing of RSL all-timer Abderrazak Hamdallah was a boon, as was the acquisition of both experienced Europeans Wesley Hoedt and Giacomo Bonaventura.

With exciting winger Daniel Podence also arriving, there appeared the foundations of a squad that could compete at a higher level this season. Subsequently, Al Shabab flew out of the blocks, winning seven and drawing two of their opening 13 RSL matches.

But that came to a halt when Pereira departed for the English Premier League in mid-December, leaving Al Shabab with a gaping hole after investing their on-field future in their manager.

The club were forced to take a step back but, in former Turkiye national team boss Fatih Terim, they found the man to thrust them forward.

It did, though, take time to settle under the vastly experienced and charismatic Turk, with the team going win-loss for seven straight games to fall off the pace in the league. At the winter break, they were two points off the top four; following Matchweek 20, though, that had swelled to 12.

Terim’s task wasn’t made any easier by the untimely absence of star midfielder Yannick Carrasco, who spent three months on the sidelines, and whom only returned to action this month.

But, eventually, things clicked. At the back end of February and into early March, Al Shabab registered their first back-to-back wins of Terim’s tenure. They haven’t looked back since.

In the RSL, they are undefeated in their past seven matches, making them one of the division’s most in-form outfits.

The run has seen them catch back up to the top five; with six rounds remaining, they lie three points behind each of Al Qadsiah, in fifth, and Al Ahli, in fourth. Suddenly, a top-four finish cannot be ruled out.

So, what is the magic formula that Terim has concocted to hoist Al Shabab from inconsistency to potency?

One feature, of course, has been extracting the best from Hamdallah, who has looked a different player since the head coach's appointment. The Moroccan international missed the start of the season with injury, and had bagged five goals in eight games before Pereira departed for England.

But after the mid-season break, he has risen again to one of the league’s most dangerous strikers. Often playing as the focal point in attack, Hamdallah’s 14 goals in 14 games lifted him to joint-second in the golden boot standings, with 19 alongside Al Ahli’s Ivan Toney. Only Cristiano Ronaldo, with 23, has more.

Terim has been able to get the most, also, from Argentine midfielder Cristian Guanca. The 32-year-old has endured a mixed time at Al Shabab, spending as much time on loan as he has in black-and-white.

However, he has found his finest form with Terim, resulting in him being named RSL Player of the Month for both February and March. It’s easy to see why: Guanca’s record since the start of February reads six goals and nine assists.

He’s now clearly one of the RSL's most dangerous attacking weapons and, with one of the best goalscorers in front – going into Monday night’s derby at Al Hilal, Hamdallah is only two off the all-time RSL record for goals – there is now a real sharp edge to Al Shabab.

In fact, they’ve grown into one of the 2024-25 season’s best attacking teams, with 34 goals in 14 matches during Terim’s time there, at a rate of 2.42 goals per game. In that same period, only champions Al Hilal (40) have scored more goals than Terim’s Al Shabab.

Compared with the 18 goals in 13 matches with Pereira (1.38 goals per game), it’s clear Al Shabab are now a stronger threat overall. Understandably, it has propelled them to where they are at present - on the verge of cracking the top four.

The credit for that must go to Terim, who was deservedly named RSL Coach of the Month for March. In fact, Al Shabab almost completed a clean sweep of those monthly awards, with Guanca (player) and Al Juwayr (young player) also recognised.

“This award is not an individual achievement but rather the result of hard work and dedication as a club, striving together toward the same goal,” Terim shared on social media.

“I congratulate everyone I have worked with Al Shabab, including my players and teammates. This is a gift to our fans and a sign of even better days ahead.”

The better days aren’t just ahead. On the evidence of the past two months, perhaps they’re already here.