Al-Hamadi interview in The Times on 20:41 - Mar 28 by baxterbasics | Any Times subscribers willing to do a copy and paste? |
I’ll do some. These are the bits on Ipswich. He left Swansea in search of first-team football. He went to Wycombe and still gets good luck messages from their former manager Gareth Ainsworth. He then went on loan to Bromley in the National League, was sold to AFC Wimbledon, where he scored 27 times in 48 games, then moved this January to Ipswich for a reported £1 million. “Ipswich are the perfect fit for me,” he says. “The values on the pitch are running hard, working harder than anyone else, blocking and tackling, being brave, getting on the ball. The way we play is attractive, high-risk at times. There’s great camaraderie between the players and all the staff. There’s a real togetherness about the club.” There’s new investment and plans to develop the training ground: “It’s the best club in the Championship in its trajectory.” McKenna is vital. “It’s his enthusiasm, leadership, the way he coaches, the detail he puts in and the way he cares,” Al-Hamadi says. “I’ve had tough managers. I’ve had the rollockings. I had a tough upbringing. Someone screaming and shouting at me wouldn’t affect me in the slightest. I just don’t think that works any more. You’ve got the Roy Keanes, raised in a different generation to us. You can’t just scream and shout at players now.” Then something about managing a groin injury and optimism about us being in the top 2. He’s a very religious chap. Devout Shia Muslim. [Post edited 28 Mar 21:35]
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