South Korea is set to take on Saudi Arabia in a friendly match at St James' Park, the home of Newcastle United, on Tuesday.

Jurgen Klinsmann, who is 59 years old, is facing significant pressure following a dismal beginning to his tenure as coach. Despite being appointed in February, Klinsmann's South Korea team has yet to secure a victory in their last five matches, suffering two losses and three draws.

Their most recent letdown was a lacklustre 0-0 draw against a similarly struggling Wales team last week. Following this match, captain Son Heung-min came to Klinsmann's defence.

"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, with the result and listless nature of the performance piling the pressure on former United States coach Klinsmann.

Despite boasting Asia's finest attacker in the talisman Son, South Korea conjured up just one shot on target against the 35th-ranked Welsh.

South Korea have scored four times in five matches under Klinsmann, who was a prolific striker as a player in his pomp.

Negligent?

However, Klinsmann's actions off the field have also fueled frustration among fans. South Korean supporters and media have accused him of breaking a promise to relocate to the country, asserting that he spends more time in his California residence than in South Korea.

Critics have pointed to Klinsmann's media responsibilities unrelated to his role as South Korea's coach as further evidence of his perceived lack of commitment to the job.

Choi Dong-ho, a commentator and director of the Centre for Sports Culture research group, said Klinsmann appeared "negligent".

"Considering his limited familiarity with Korean players, he should at least be watching all K League games in person rather than being 'briefed' by other coaches while he stays abroad," said Choi.

Failure to beat Saudi Arabia, who are ranked 54th in the world to South Korea's 28th, would leave Klinsmann clinging to his job after less than seven months in charge.

"Klinsmann's seeming lack of urgency in light of poor performances hasn't sat well with South Korean fans, many of whom have already begun calling for the German tactician's head," Yonhap news agency said on Monday.

The Asian Cup, which will be held in Qatar in January-February, is where Klinsmann says his team is currently in transition.

"How prepared are they mentally for a big tournament? Can they deal with all the pressure, all the expectations and all those different elements?" Klinsmann said after the Wales draw.

"It's a growing process," he added.

"And I'm pleased overall with what the players showed, and we'll keep growing game by game."