qsl.com.qa  caught up with Lawrence Quaye from Al Gharafa ahead of the big match against El Jaish.

Quaye is the beating heart and natural leader of Gharafa, having spent most of his career at the club. We got the lowdown and what he thought about his oponents this weekend, the new Head Coach at Al Gharafa, the team's tactics and his upbeat outlook for the season ahead.

Your team Gharafa has had a very good start to the season, how are the new signings settling in?
“I think we are doing quite well, if you consider the many changes that were made to the team, we brought in many new players and despite the short amount of time we’ve had to gel, we have actually done really well.”

What’s difference this year with regards to the squad?
“I think it’s a more balanced than in previous years, if you look now at the players we have brought in, most of them have fitted in right away. In the past we brought in players and they needed some time to get used to the league and to the club but this season, we have had very few problems.”

“So far we haven’t conceded a goal in the first three games of the season, so our defence too had a bit of an overhaul over the summer and I think its working. We have improved defensively and this gives the team more confidence when attacking. So yes, I think we are more balanced and this has given the team more options generally speaking.”

“We brought in Anderson from El Jaish and Madi form Al Sadd and Aden Ali Aden Umm Salal and so far it’s been pretty good for our defence.”

In the last round you were instrumental in setting up the winning goal against Al Arabi, how important was that game for your side?
“Yes, it was very important for us, if you look at the recent head to heads between us and Arabi in the last three years; we haven’t been able to beat them. They were somewhat of a bogey-team for us, so we were very focused on getting a positive result against them this time and we did just that.”

“Five years ago when we had that Championship winning side we used to beat everyone, but more recently it has been difficult to beat Arabi in particular, so it was a crucial win, psychologically speaking.”

“It’s also important to remember that they too were unbeaten until we played them.”



Is it fair to say that the Jaish fixture will be the toughest so far?
“Well it’s the beginning of the season so it is hard to say if it will prove to be the toughest game but we all know that El Jaish is one of the most competitive teams in the QSL. But what I know is that we have our own objectives, we want to bring back Al Gharafa to its previous high level where we used to win everything in sight. So at the very minimum, this year we want to be in the top four at the end of the season.”

How do you think El Jaish will play against your team on Sunday?
“They will be playing at our home ground and they know that we have had a good start to the season, so I think they will be cautious. They know that we have won more games than they have and we haven’t conceded yet, so they know it will be tough for them also. The pressure is more on them; they have had a mixed start to the season. They won’t come out all guns blazing so-to-speak, they will have their own tactics which their coach will try to implement during the game but we too have our own plan.”
 
How is the new Head Coach, what is his philosophy and is it conducive to the team as a whole?
“Pericles Chamusca is a very likable guy, he is a good person. He relates very well with the players. In addition, he knows the league really well as he has coached many clubs here in Qatar. He has been with us since pre-season so we have got to know what he wants from us. He knows what we can do and sees the best way that we can work as a team, which after all is very important because football is a team sport. Tactically also he has done well, if you see the kinds of high quality players he brought in, then it must have been hard to settle with a certain system because now we are more versatile.”

“Right now we are playing a 4-2-3-1 formation and it is working well for us. He has been very clinical with his decisions which is always a good quality in a coach. We know what he expects from us individually and collectively.”

“From our side, all the players are focused and want to really be in the mix at the end of the season.”