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Unsung Hero - RUSSELL

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I went to the game last night and have been to all of the home games this season (except 2) and since lambetr has changed his tactics to a diamond midfield, although hoolahan is geting the headlines with his passing and creativity I thought it was only fair that Russell got some too.

 

I really do believe that russell has found his position and plays  it as well as any other player in league 1 and possibly the championship. To play in his position the amount of disipline(sp?) needed is incredible and without him playing in that position as well as he does we would not be in the position that we are now!

Also people are always going on about the amount of the ball that hoolahan gets, but I honestly think that Russell gets the same amount, but because he is not setting up goals he does not get noticed.

Finally just a question for one of them statistics people. How many goals have we scored when russell has started an attack??

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Neil Adams and Darren Huckerby both said on Radio snorefolk last night how most of our attacking play and goals are started by Russells moves, could be a tackle in the middle, or a pass out of defence etc.. if he gets injured/suspended will our form dip?

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Isn''t it wonderful how watching the same game of football can produce different interpretations for different people?

Personally I thought Rusty was our weakest player last night. Gave the ball away a lot and seemed to get nosebleeds when he could have gone on storming runs. He wasn''t particularly bad, just wasn''t up there with other midfield players.

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I dont think the form will dip - as long as Hughes is fit at the same time,  as I think they an both do that job,  with Hughes having the edge on passing while Russell,  when he plays like he did last night,  has the edge on physical and ball winning 

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[quote user="Chunky Norwich"]Isn''t it wonderful how watching the same game of football can produce different interpretations for different people? Personally I thought Rusty was our weakest player last night. Gave the ball away a lot and seemed to get nosebleeds when he could have gone on storming runs. He wasn''t particularly bad, just wasn''t up there with other midfield players.[/quote]

It is indeed wonderful but I think you will find that it is just you or if not, you are in a very small minority  For me, Rusty has been a contender for MOM in most recent games.  He is doing a specific job and doing it well.  Criticising him for not doing something else is not really fair or reasonable.  Why not criticise Forster for not taking more corners?

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I can just about see your analogy....almost.

My main criticism of him last night was giving the ball away cheaply. If his main job is to protect the back four then this doesn''t appear very helpful.

I''ll reiterate that I''m not slamming him or anything; just thought he had a very average game

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Still annoys me that he loses his head so easily. Last night he could quite easily have been sent off and would only have had himself to blame.

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Thought he was superb last night (again).

I don''t think his anger/temper is quite the problem that some seem to suggest.

Infact I think he''d be a poorer player if he didn''t have that edge to him.

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Rusty is absolute quality and is the lynchpin for most of our attacking play.  Also helps to have a tough bugger in the team for when needed.

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[quote user="Chunky Norwich"]I can just about see your analogy....almost. My main criticism of him last night was giving the ball away cheaply. If his main job is to protect the back four then this doesn''t appear very helpful. I''ll reiterate that I''m not slamming him or anything; just thought he had a very average game[/quote]

He gave the ball away but so did Drury and Hoolahan. Only difference is Hoolahan makes up for it by creating chances and scoring. Russell helps clear up Hoolahans and everyone elses mistakes. Which i still saw him do all night last night. They also said on Radio Norfolk he is the start of nearly every attack.

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Rusty is just as important to us as Holt and Hoolahan is IMO. He does his job well and effectively.

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The work of Smith, Rusty and Lappin is often unnoticed and they don''t get the credit they deserve, the 3 of them are often up against 4 opposition midfielders. Rusty in particular has a key role to play, playing behind Hoolahan takes a great deal of discipline and understanding. He breaks up play and is more often or not the start of our attacks.

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I thought all of the midfield were brilliant, especially Rusty, I had concerns with his temper after the scrap, but he was very refrained and dare I say it mature. He spreads the ball very well and is doing well stopping himself from going too far forward. It was good to see the whole squad get involved in the scrap too, showed a lot of team bonding and commitment[:D]

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[quote user="GJP"]

Thought he was superb last night (again).

I don''t think his anger/temper is quite the problem that some seem to suggest.

Infact I think he''d be a poorer player if he didn''t have that edge to him.

[/quote]

 

Have you not seen him continue pointless arguments with the ref (which he did last night) and get needlessly sent off leaving the vulnerable. Have you not seen make stupid challenges in the form of revenge risking sending offs?

He would be a better player if he kept control.

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[quote user="The gut"][quote user="GJP"]

Thought he was superb last night (again).

I don''t think his anger/temper is quite the problem that some seem to suggest.

Infact I think he''d be a poorer player if he didn''t have that edge to him.

[/quote]

 

Have you not seen him continue pointless arguments with the ref (which he did last night) and get needlessly sent off leaving the vulnerable. Have you not seen make stupid challenges in the form of revenge risking sending offs?

He would be a better player if he kept control.

[/quote]

Patrick Viera, roy Keane, Michael Ballack, Eric Cantona... Whilst Rusty obviously isn''t in the same class as them.. succesufl teams have red carded hot heads in the midfield who dont know when to quit.... a team full of puffs who finish mid table, or a team full of bruisers who get 20 red cards a season yet get promoted....

ask Stoke fans what they preferred 2 years ago.

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[quote user="jas the barclay king"][quote user="The gut"][quote user="GJP"]

Thought he was superb last night (again).

I don''t think his anger/temper is quite the problem that some seem to suggest.

Infact I think he''d be a poorer player if he didn''t have that edge to him.

[/quote]

 

Have you not seen him continue pointless arguments with the ref (which he did last night) and get needlessly sent off leaving the vulnerable. Have you not seen make stupid challenges in the form of revenge risking sending offs?

He would be a better player if he kept control.

[/quote]

Patrick Viera, roy Keane, Michael Ballack, Eric Cantona... Whilst Rusty obviously isn''t in the same class as them.. succesufl teams have red carded hot heads in the midfield who dont know when to quit.... a team full of puffs who finish mid table, or a team full of bruisers who get 20 red cards a season yet get promoted....

ask Stoke fans what they preferred 2 years ago.

[/quote]

Don''t get me wrong, Russell is performing well for us and he is key to success. Not only is he not in the same class as the players listed he only shares their temper. He does not display the SAME LEVEL of determination, passion or fight to win every ball and dictate play.

I certainly don''t want a team of puffs, I believe in hard but fair tackles and a mental attitude that feels no pain and has no fear, but where the comparison really falls down is his attitude was bad last season, he got the red cards and we got RELEGATED. I know what I would have preferred last season. He was a liability and needs to make sure he doesn''t slip into old ways. HE WOULD BE A BETTER PLAYER IF HE KEEPS CONTROL, and stays on the pitch.

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Think you need to cut the guy a bit of slack, personally. He''s playing in a role that needs some fight and combat.

Last season he was mucked around by the management and it must have been frustrating for him. I mean, he had to sit on the bench sometimes while Mark Fotheringham was made captain and played ahead of him.

Or how about when he''d done a job upfront for us and but then got left on the bench and Chris Killen was brought on instead of him? How would that have made him feel?

This season he''s come back into Paul Lambert who picks him to play a role that suits him and he knows where he stands and as a result we''re seeing much better performances from him.

He''s going to clock up yellow cards in that position and he''s going to get in aggro. But then I doubt anybody is going to care when Grant Holt does the same thing.

I remember the Leeds game when plenty of people were saying he should have been subbed off. Yet Paul Lambert was happy to keep him on the pitch, which shows that he trusts the player. That''s good enough for me.

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[quote user="GJP"]

Think you need to cut the guy a bit of slack, personally. He''s playing in a role that needs some fight and combat.

Last season he was mucked around by the management and it must have been frustrating for him. I mean, he had to sit on the bench sometimes while Mark Fotheringham was made captain and played ahead of him.

Or how about when he''d done a job upfront for us and but then got left on the bench and Chris Killen was brought on instead of him? How would that have made him feel?

This season he''s come back into Paul Lambert who picks him to play a role that suits him and he knows where he stands and as a result we''re seeing much better performances from him.

He''s going to clock up yellow cards in that position and he''s going to get in aggro. But then I doubt anybody is going to care when Grant Holt does the same thing.

I remember the Leeds game when plenty of people were saying he should have been subbed off. Yet Paul Lambert was happy to keep him on the pitch, which shows that he trusts the player. That''s good enough for me.

[/quote]

Maybe I am not expressing myself very well. I don''t need to cut him any slack.

He is doing a great job for us. Highlighting areas that can and should be improved should not be perceived as moaning. I just happen to believe that last season Russell''s attitude and conduct let us down, his performances this season are not in question. I do think that he can improve more by controlling his temper, and use his head more. We would have a funny old team if none of them needed any improvement. 

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Unsung my arse - Russells contribution has totally been recognised - by fans, the papers and commentators during the games and after...

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