After the end of 2018-19 season, all QNB Stars League clubs are looking at ways to avoid the drawbacks and rectify the mistakes ahead of the new season.

As part of coverage of the league championship that went by, the Qatar Stars League website analyses all 12 teams’ performance in the 2018-19 QNB Stars League, in the order of their final standings.

UMM SALAL

Umm Salal could not make the progress that they targeted in the 2018-19 QNB Stars League and they finished ninth with 23 points.

They could record only six wins. The Orange Fortress drew five matches, while they suffered 11 defeats. They had a goal difference of -20 (24 goals for and 44 against).

Umm Salal started the season under the technical leadership of French coach Laurent Banide and their goal was to achieve more successes, especially since he had managed them in the 2008 season and was no stranger to the side.

Banide took over from Moroccan Talal El Karkouri and the management was keen that the team provides stability. Ivorian Yannick Sajbo, Syrian Mahmoud Al Mawas and Moroccan Adel Rhaili were their overseas professional players.

Umm Salal had to wait till the third week of the league to register their first victory (4-1 against Al Ahli). They had lost 1-2 to Al Sailiya and drawn 1-1 with Al Rayyan in Week 1 and 2 respectively.

A series of negative results saw Umm Salal part ways with Banide in November and made his assistant Bouziane Ben Arabi as the caretaker coach until Spaniard Raul Caneda took over.

Caneda tried to get the team back on track by improving their level and recruited some players in the winter transfer period. They signed Brazilians Anderson Benedito and Luiz Otavio.

However, despite all that, they could not make much of a headway. Umm Salal rounded off their campaign with a 1-6 loss to new champions Al Sadd after suffering a 2-5 defeat at the hands of Al Shahania in Week 21.