Pressure on Klinsmann without a win after 7 months

South Korea face Saudi Arabia in a friendly at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park on Tuesday with Jurgen Klinsmann under severe pressure after a wretched start as coach.

The German legend was only appointed in February but his South Korea side have failed to win in the five games since, losing twice and drawing three times.

The latest disappointment was a drab 0-0 stalemate away at an equally off-colour Wales last week, after which skipper Son Heung-min came to the defence of 59-year-old Klinsmann.

“I understand where fans come from, as someone who’s been on the national team for a long time,” the Tottenham Hotspur forward told reporters in Cardiff.

“I am not saying the coach is always right, but I also don’t think fans are always right either.”

South Korea reached the last 16 of the Qatar World Cup before being outclassed 4-1 by Brazil, after which coach Paulo Bento said he would not carry on.

The Korea Football Association launched a protracted search for his successor before settling on Klinsmann, a World Cup winner as a player but whose coaching career has never hit the same heights.

Many South Korean fans were underwhelmed by the appointment and performances since have only added to those misgivings.

Klinsmann, whose previous coaching job was a short stint with Hertha Berlin more than three years ago, started with a 2-2 home draw with Colombia, before home defeats to Uruguay and Peru.

Then came a 1-1 home draw with El Salvador and the goalless stalemate with Wales, the result and listless nature of the performance piling the pressure on former United States coach Klinsmann.