Should Arsenal Women’s fans be worried about Russo?
A lot of talk has gone on over the past couple of weeks concerning Alessia Russo and her current form for Arsenal Women. Since joining Arsenal from rivals Manchester United in the summer transfer window, it seems to have taken a while for Russo to get properly going and it has some Arsenal Women’s fans worried about her lack of goals in the red and the white.
Russo is a proven goal scorer, for both club and country. She became a huge part of the Manchester United set up and looked to be one of their most important players for years. Last January, Arsenal put in a reported world record offer to Manchester United for Russo that was later rejected but as last season came to a close, so did Russo’s contract and Arsenal’s recruitment team knew all they had to do was wait and we’d end up getting her for free, having known Russo was keen to join the Gunners, getting the talented English forward for free was almost too good to be true.
Just before this years Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, rumours started to fly around that Russo’s move to Arsenal was inevitable and as soon as the summer transfer window opened, Arsenal immediately signed Russo (once her contract with Man United had officially ended) and she made the big move from Manchester to London.
Jonas Eidevall said this about Russo’s lack of goals for Arsenal: “Alessia works so hard and she is such a great individual and team player. Do we have room for improvement in how we involve her more, especially in the penalty area and how we get her more touches and shooting opportunities in there? Absolutely.
“Especially when she plays as a 9, that has to be the aim when she plays there so we can get her more goals because from a finishing perspective, she is probably the best finisher I have ever worked with. She has a lot of variety in her finishing and for us, it’s how many times she can get those opportunities rather than what she is doing with them. Those are things we are working with, with her application and her effort, it is amazing.”
Russo may not have hit the ground running like most Arsenal Women’s fans would have hoped, but she’s been playing a different role in Jonas Eidevall’s system, and I personally think she’s been doing exactly as she’s told to do. Russo has an incredible vision of football and can read the game well. For United she was their out and out striker, for Arsenal she’s still that but she’s become so much more, she holds up play and links up the midfield to the attack perfectly, using herself as a somewhat shield and drags defenders out of their positions.
She may not be scoring goal after goal, but she is a huge reason why we have been scoring goals. Picking up a great assist on the weekend against West Ham is the perfect example. For United she sat up top in the middle, waiting for a pass to her to try take a shot and finish, but for Arsenal, you’ll see her come a lot deeper to try get into the game, holding up play. She looks to defend from the front, coming up behind players surprising them and winning the ball back.
We all might have thought she was going to be a goal machine and that could still happen, it takes a while to settle into a new club, especially a rival club, but what she’s lacking in goal scoring she’s making up for in hard work and ability.
Personally, I think sooner or later the floodgates will open and you won’t be able to stop her scoring, but till then I’m more than happy with that she’s put out on the pitch, she’s working her butt off and that’s all you can ask from her.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
Follow JustArsenal’s Gooner Women on Just Gooner Women on Twitter for regular updates on the Arsenal Womens Team!
Do you want to read more about the Arsenal Women’s Team? Click here….
No worries at all. Her general play form has been superb and I feel she has “hit the ground running. The goals will come for her. I’d be more concerned if the “assists” dried up.
Nah, all the girls needs to do keep on winning the goals will come.
Lack of creativity from the flanks is what affects her goal scoring exploits and maybe it’s the tactics but i noticed she’s not in position or does’nt arrive to pick up passes or pounce on the numerous loose balls in the opposition’s box such as her goal against Villa women earlier this season. i was impressed with her last ditch tackle to prevent a Brighton player from taking a goal bound shot.
I think Cloe L. should start ahead of her. hence: MANUEL, McCABE, ILASTADIT WOBEN, STAFE, VICTORIA, CROSS, MAANUM, CLOE, MEAD, FOORD.
That’s against CHELSEA. It will be dangerous to them.
Russo,s work rate is second to none , her performance in chasing down for Beth’s assist was amazing,
If she does not score a goal,again this season it does not matter
Love that comment. My sentiments exactly.
Simply, No.
She works harder in every other aspect of her play and is brilliant at that. Her ability in winning the ball and providing an assist was shown to perfection against West Ham.
Another question you should possibly ask is: Should the defence and the chosen goalkeeper not be criticised for conceding goals almost every game? If the answer is no then leave Russo alone.
Russo has never been a prolific goalscorer – she has knocked in a few for Man U and England but is not a 20 goal a season striker. It is all the other aspects of her game that make her such a good player. She is only 24 – just imagine how good she will be in three or four years time.