Content:
- Brief introduction
- Career so far
- Player strengths
- What to improve on
- Where he fits in
Brief introduction
Ali Al-Hamadi is widely regarded as the best up-and-coming striker in the EFL. Funnily enough, the first time I became aware of Ali was through him featuring in a Ryan Tafazolli vlog! Ali is a big boy at 6ft 2; he is just 21 years old and his preferred foot is right. He plays for his national team Iraq where he has played in the Asian Cup. This has grown his Instagram followers up to over 400k (still way off Elkan!).
Career so far
I’m sure you are well aware of his Scouse accent by now. Ali grew up in Liverpool after being forced to flee Iraq as war broke out. Ali’s route into professional football is far from traditional and unique. Let’s start from when he was released by Swansea leading to multiple public trials. Firstly, he ended up at Derby but failed to earn himself a contract. This perseverance paid off as he earned his contract with Wycombe.
Wycombe have a habit of signing trialists from either non-league teams or released by pro academies. Anis Mehmeti is another success story. Ali didn’t feature for Wycombe in 2021/2022, which led to a loan to Bromley where he impressed. Minutes at Wycombe were still few and infrequent, which led to a career changing move to AFC Wimbledon in January 2023.
Ali has been sensational from start to finish. 10 goals in 19 to finish the season then he followed that up with 13 goals and 6 assists this season. This earned Ali his first Iraq call up and he has since made nine appearances and scored two goals.
Player strengths
Chance creation
One of the main reasons I think KM has chosen Ali is his chance creation ability, which he values extremely highly in his strikers. Ali boasts six assists already this season which is very impressive for a striker. He averages in the top 94% compared to other League Two forwards for chances created with over 1.5 per game.
Shot volume
His high shot volume is also extremely valuable. He averages almost four shots per 90 and two on target per game, which you love to see. He is also underperforming his expected goals by a fair few which shows there is lots of room to grow his finishing. He is also a good pen taker, which probably isn’t worth mentioning considering we don’t get pens!
Variety of goals
Ali’s phenomenal ball striking and high ability with both feet means he scores an impressive variety of goals and he always knows whether to shoot with pace or power. He also has the finesses, chip shot and round-the-keeper player style in his locker.
Dribbling
Another of his main traits is his sharp dribbling and his 1v1 ability often leaving the defender sitting on the floor. He often uses his electrifying pace to burst past defenders and I’m sure he will take to KM’s high, aggressive pressing from the front like a duck to water.
Physicality
He is a physical powerhouse: in the Notts County game in particular, he treated seasoned pro-defenders like rag dolls. If you haven’t already, I’d fully recommend watching his highlights from this game, which showcase his impressive strength. https://x.com/Irak_FRA/status/1728478678923845935?s=20
What to improve on
The main place on where to improve is his aerial duels, which for a big lad he ranks very poorly on. He also very rarely scores in the air so that is definitely something we can work on. His defensive numbers in general aren’t super impressive, but that could be down to how AFC Wimbledon play.
Also he is still very raw at just 21, so his decision making and offside awareness in the final third isn’t always the greatest, but this is something that will come with age and experience.
Also don’t expect him to be dropping deep and holding the ball up like a Hirst. There is definitely work to be done there. Ali will be looking to get in behind and run the channels.
Where he fits in
Ali’s best position is through the middle at striker. He has also featured at both wings in recent appearances for Wimbledon so he can cover there if needed, but it looks inevitable that he will be playing striker looking to get in behind. As a chance creation and shot volume monster, he fits in beautifully. I believe he is a more polished and complete version of Kayden Jackson.
In conclusion
29 goal contributions in 2023 speaks for itself – Ali is clearly ready for the next step up. It’s a huge step up from League Two to the Championship, but in recent years Elijah Adebayo and Brandon Thomas-Asanate have impressed stepping up and I believe Ali is even better equipped than both and has a lot to offer to this team already.
I don’t call this signing a risk, I call it an investment. I’m delighted that we are spending the money on a 21 year old striker with bags of potential and an extremely high ceiling. He is a completely different profile to George Hirst.
If you can’t already tell, I’m extremely excited by this signing and on paper it is a very, very shrewd piece of business. As previously said, it was inevitable he would move to the Championship this January and he is going to the very top.
