Emanuel Aiwu believes that his style of play aligns well with the brand of football that Wayne Rooney aims to implement at Birmingham City. After some challenging defeats, Rooney initially introduced a more cautious approach, but Aiwu made his first start since his summer transfer from Cremonese and feels that he is a good fit for the new style of play.
Aiwu expressed his comfort with being on the ball and his aggressive playing style, which he believes suits the manager’s vision. He’s determined to maintain his performance and hopes that the manager continues to have faith in him. While acknowledging that it’s a different style of football, he mentioned that the coaching staff has a clear plan for how they want to play, and it will take some time, especially to refine the details. Aiwu believes that once everything falls into place, Birmingham City can achieve success with this approach.
The change in management has provided Aiwu with an opportunity to play a more prominent role. John Eustace had favored Dion Sanderson and Kevin Long, but after a disappointing performance against Hull City, Rooney made adjustments, giving Aiwu a full debut.
Aiwu acknowledged that in football, you sometimes have to accept the situation and remain patient. He focused on what he could control, such as working hard, training rigorously, staying fit, and waiting for the right opportunity. Aiwu expressed his gratitude for the chance to make his debut in the starting XI and emphasized his commitment to working hard, even though the team didn’t secure the win in that particular game.