On this day last year, Alessia Russo scored one of the most unique goals we’ve ever seen at a major tournament. In the semi-final of Euro 2022, she gave England a 3-0 lead over Sweden with an outrageous backheel that went through Hedvig Lindahl’s legs. It was a goal that reverberated around Europe, and sent the Lionesses to Wembley, where they would beat Germany in the final.
It was a goal and overall performance that led to calls for Russo to lead the line ahead of Ellen White. However, since that point and following White’s subsequent retirement, things haven’t quite taken off for Russo in an England shirt.
She’s started two of England’s last three games, and they’ve failed to score in open play in all three. Russo herself has scored just twice for her country since that Euro 2022 success, and one of those goals came in a 10-0 win over Luxembourg. She’s been trusted by Sarina Wiegman to fill the boots of Ellen White, the Lionesses' greatest ever goalscorer.
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But as of yet, there seems to be a level of dysfunction, especially in 2023, between the number nine and the rest of the team. England simply aren’t creating enough chances in the final third, and Russo, although a physical threat, has been unable to land dangerous efforts on target.
The forward, who moved from Manchester United to Arsenal this summer, was so suited to being England’s super sub at the Euros After White had worn defences down, the last thing the opposition wanted to see was a strong bundle of energy in the form of Russo, with an eye for goal, coming off the bench. She appeared in all six games off the bench, and yet finished with four goals to her name, a total only Beth Mead and Germany's Alexandra Popp could beat.
Since being thrust into the starting XI, she hasn’t looked quite as sharp. England aren’t playing as well on the whole and they are now competing in a tournament on foreign soil which is always going to prove more difficult. However, unlike last summer, Wiegman doesn’t have a natural first choice number nine.
Before the 1-0 win over Haiti, courtesy of Georgia Stanway’s retaken penalty, the head coach discussed her forward options. “First of all, it was really hard. We have three good centre forwards in our squad. We have made very hard decisions over time,” Wiegman said.
“We had the preparation camps, and we had the games we played earlier this season. In the end, I came up with the decision. That's why Alessia starts. That was really hard, they've both done very well. Bethany England too. You just make up your mind at the end. They gave us headaches.”
In the end, the team performance left a lot to be desired. And when the WSL’s Golden Boot winner Rachel Daly - the other option Wiegman had alluded to - is sat on the bench, you feel changes will be made for the second group match against Denmark on Friday. Selecting the Aston Villa goalscorer would not only allow the striker in form to start, but restore Russo to her role from the bench, a position in which she has flourished in the past.
The two strikers provide different things for England and it feels as though a change of style is needed to suit their differing strengths. Daly's versatility has arguably counted against her in the battle for the number nine shirt, but now she should be given the final two group games to prove herself as England’s main striker.
Returning Russo to the bench would get the best out of her, as we saw last summer. England need their super sub back, and both Daly and the starting XI could benefit from this switch.
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