Al Duhail coach Christophe Galtier spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 12 match against Al Ahli.

“Of course, we are disappointed after the last two defeats that we suffered, especially when this happens consecutively, and we were ahead in both matches in the score, which requires us to do the correct analysis. The matches come very quickly, and even if there is a shortage in the number of players, we must work hard to improve our way of defending.

“I am not talking here about the defence only. After analyzing the situation, it appears that our defence does not find sufficient support from the midfield, which does not find sufficient support from the attack line, and if we want to restore the team’s dynamism, the players must work from yes, the team, especially in terms of recovering the ball and winning it in individual challenges (one against one). We must work hard to focus on the field throughout the match.

“Since I took over the team and with the exception of Ooredoo Cup, the team has played 10 matches in the league and AFC Champions League, during which we scored 17 goals, which is equivalent to (1.7) goals per match, and this is a good thing. But in contrast, we conceded 18 goals, which is a very large number, and if we want to change the situation, we must radically change our collective defensive stance and the way we defend.

“We must win the next match. We will follow the results of our competing teams and begin preparing for the second leg of the league next January. If we want to compete for the league title, we must record a series of victories. We hope to provide a better level in the second leg and just as some teams performed well in the first leg, they may face challenges in the second leg.

“Our match against Al-Wakrah was a great disappointment and it was the worst match we played since my arrival here. There are many questions such as, ‘Could performance be linked to the absence of some players? Were we affected in the middle of the field? Is there fatigue due to consecutive matches?’ These are not excuses. This is the truth and we cannot cite excuses. Regardless of the results, matches are played and there may be victories, draws or defeats,” said Galtier.

Al Duhail defender Yousef Ayman said, “We are working hard to win the next match against Al Ahli, to be the beginning of our move towards returning to our normal place.

“All teams go through such a decline in performance and results, but we must know the mistakes that occurred and work to correct them and take advantage of the break to be back on the right track.

“There are individual errors that have appeared in the team’s performance, and such errors occur from all players, which is a normal thing in football. The technical staff and players have a desire to rectify them and we will address them and overcome all obstacles that caused the decline in our level.”