Al Duhail Head Coach Christopher Galtier, has confirmed his full awareness of our upcoming match versus Umm Salal. Despite their victory over us last season, I know them very well, as well as their coach and their style of play.
Galtier added that the team, along with the technical staff, has worked diligently to study Um Salal. We know they have a strong attacking line, but the most important thing is what we will present in this match. Will we be content with our previous performances and the victories in the last two matches, or will the team continue their positive work in line with our ambitions to continue our winning streak? This would indeed be a good thing before the upcoming international break. Every match has its unique characteristics and a good challenge, and we must be fully prepared for all matches.
Many things have changed since last season. The team’s composition has changed, as well as the president’s support for the team. We’ve been here in Qatar for 9 months now, and the mentality has changed. What I always demand from the players is focus in training. We work well as a complete collective system, not individually. I try to have a good team ready for every match we play.
Galtier added: “I always hope that the players are motivated and determined to deliver a better performance. It’s important to win before the international break. We are certainly working on our defensive preparation, and a good defense allows us to perform well in attack. Scoring 10 goals is a good indicator, but we’ve also conceded one goal.”
He continued, “Going back to last season, the situation was catastrophic in terms of the goals we conceded. The more organized we are, the more positive the impact on the team. We work intensively on attacking performance during team training on a continuous basis.”
Regarding Junior’s performance, Galtier confirmed that he spoke with many followers and watched many of his matches. He sees Junior as a decisive player in many matches for our team. Not playing for two consecutive seasons has affected him a lot, but he is a great addition to the team.
Galtier confirmed that we work on high-pressure tactics against opponents during our training and never wait for gifts from our opponents. I always work on training players to quickly recover the ball with a quick transition to attack. We must accept that we face strong opponents and should be fully prepared well for that.
When asked about the difference between this season and last season, our technical director replied that last season was new for him in terms of getting used to the atmosphere. There was a follow-up on the team and the league in general, and on a personal level as well. I was very busy with some personal matters in France, but thank Allah today I enjoy a stable life. I love the players, I love the club, and I’m happy here overall now.
