Ahly's once untouchable boss comes under fire

The honeymoon between coach Manuel Jose and Ahly fans might be over following stunning Champions League and Egyptian Cup exits

Ahly coach Manuel Jose has come under unusual fire after his side, a dominant force in continental and domestic football, exited the CAF Champions League and Egyptian Cup in less than a week.
The Portuguese tactician further enhanced his cult status among Ahly's faithful when he returned to the club in January to help them bridge a six-point gap with arch-rivals Zamalek and win the Egyptian Premier League title for the seventh consecutive season.
But recent stumbles have called his tactical decisions into question after two poor displays saw Ahly draw 1-1 at home to Tunisia's Esperance before slumping to a stunning 1-0 defeat by ENPPI.
Talking briefly to the press after Ahly were booed off following their loss to ENPPI at Cairo Stadium on Wednesday, Jose said: “I bear full responsibility for our Egyptian Cup elimination.
“The fans, who always stand by the team, have every right to be angry. We have to shoulder responsibility for what happened.”
Jose was particularly blamed for not including new signings Abdullah El-Saied and Walid Soliman in Ahly's starting line up against ENPPI, opting instead to rely on sluggish striker Mohamed Fadl and ageing playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika.
Abou-Treika failed to make his presence felt while the angry fans chanted against Fadl as Ahly failed to muster a single shot on goal in a dour affair.
El-Saied, Soliman and Brazilian striker Fabio Junior, who also arrived in the close season, were introduced with 19 minutes remaining but barely had time to make an impact.
Ahly's football committee convened in the wake of the defeat, giving Jose a vote of confidence and expressing faith in his abilities to build a team for the future.
Defender Wael Gomaa, one of the players who blossomed under Jose, leapt to the coach's defence but football critics and fans held him accountable for the recent dip in form.
Renowned pundit Hassan El-Mestekawy questioned Jose's decision not to make use of the high-profile signings the club made in the summer and many fans echoed his sentiment on internet message boards and social networking sites.
Ahly's abrupt fall coincided with a superb display by Zamalek in the debut of former Egypt coach Hassan Shehata.
Zamalek came from behind to crush Wadi Degla 4-1 in the Egyptian Cup but the comprehensive victory was not really alarming for Ahly fans, who were busy bemoaning the loss of veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan.
Egypt skipper Hassan, who left Ahly after they opted not to renew his contract, scored a second-half brace to lift Zamalek past Wadi Degla.
The Ahly supporters still regard Jose highly, given that he led the Red Devils to a host of local and continental trophies during three spells. However, they might run out of patience if a vast improvement was not made.