England legend Ellen White MBE wants Alessia Russo to “get in the box more” at Women’s World Cup by Michelle
England legend Ellen White MBE, who retired from English football after the Lionesses won Euro 2022 last summer, is the record goalscorer for the England women’s national team. With England, she has competed at three FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments: in 2011, 2015 and 2019, reaching the semi-finals in 2015 and 2019 and finishing third in 2015, when she won the Bronze Boot.
A BBC Sports Columnist for the Women’s World Cup, White has some advice for Arsenal’s England forward Alessia Russo:
“She may not have scored against Haiti, but she still led the line really well and did all the right things for the team. In fact, the only part of her game I want to see her do differently is to get in the box more.
“So much is asked of centre-forwards these days and a big part of Russo’s role is to start the press when England don’t have possession as well as link play when they are starting attacks.
“We know she is very good at holding the ball up, and she can turn and run with it too, but, instead of going out wide left so often and working down that channel, I wish she would leave that to the wingers and get in the middle, in front of goal, instead.
“Russo is great at all of the above, but what I really want to see is her doing what she does best – arriving in the box at the right time, her tight control in those situations and the way she can strike a ball so sweetly with hardly any back-lift.
“Let’s get her and the ball in the penalty area at the right time and give her the chances she wants, because it will only take one goal and the floodgates will open for her. Hopefully that will happen against Denmark on Friday.”
Match Review: Russo’s England 1-0 Kathrine Kuhl’s Denmark
Against Denmark, England scored an early goal through Lauren James and, watching Russo on the pitch, I can see exactly what White is talking about. But I have to say that Russo didn’t have many chances on goal but she helped to create them. Defending her is difficult precisely because she’s difficult to pin down, in my opinion. We just need a goal from her now..
Keira Walsh went down injured before half-time, with what looked like a serious knee injury, and had to be stretchered off the pitch. England really had to dig deep thereafter, with chances at both ends of the pitch.
Russo was substituted by Beth England 20 minutes before the end of the game, and sent a great scoring opportunity just wide of the post. In the final minutes the Lionesses were saved from a Denmark equaliser, as the ball ricocheted off the post.
Michelle Maxwell
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Russo had a pretty “uneventful” game and put her one good chance well wide, and then suffered the indignity of being subbed off for a Spurs player.
I don’t see her starting the next group game as she was also pretty anonymous in the first match against Haiti.
England badly missed Arsenal’s Williamson & Mead as well as also injured Fran Kirby. The replacements are quite obviously not really up to it.
I agree whole-heartedly. Williamson, Mead & Kirby are a great miss – and now Keira Walsh too..
England may be top of their group at the moment but they seem to be missing any sparkle. Both
their matches so far have failed to inspire. Beth England maybe should be given a start – Spurs or
no Spurs lol! She only came on for the last 10 mins or so, against Denmark, so we didn’t get to
see much of her but she scored 14 goals in the WSL last season (4 more than Russo) and she only played
the 2nd half of the season at Spurs.
Rachel Daly was fairly wishy washy when she was up front too, in my opinion.