RUSSELL

In my 57+ years watching Barnsley. I don't think I've ever seen a player with more awareness of where other players are around him. Rarely, if ever, loses or wastes a ball. I know most moan about his workrate. Me included (not audibly) when I get frustrated when he appears not to chase back. But saying that, if he was more of an athlete and had more attributes, I don't think he'd be playing in the 1st division but at levels higher.

 

I think he’s a bit of a handbrake at times, but certainly looks a different proposition to last season.

 

Hes a very classy player in my view.

 

Just said on the matchday thread, he’s massively improved on last season.

But for me he’s far too ponderous, very passive. He clearly has a lot of natural ability, a huge attribute. I can’t help but think he could make a lot more of that.

I think as tidy as he has been he actually restricts us, holds play up too much. Something you can hardly afford when he’s playing alongside Herbie ‘stop, do a cruyff turn and pass it backwards’ Kane.

He doesn’t do masses ‘wrong’ Russell, he recycles the ball ok. More than ok. But in reverse gear. He’d perhaps be an ideal sub to kill the last fifteen mins when winning a game, slow it down and frustrate the opposition - if you could trust him to concentrate and track runners that is. He rarely misplaces a pass, but I’ve never seen a deep lying midfielder, where he’s playing currently, caught out of possession in front of the ball as much as him, or one slower to try to recover in that circumstance.

As someone says above, he’s often like a handbrake.

He’s far from terrible, much, much improved, but he’s very frustrating as you can see that he could be so much better.

 

I like Russell. I don’t think him and Kane work well together but when Luca is fit it wouldn’t be Russell making way for me.

 

He’s a poor man’s Stephen McPhail - and that’s not me slating him. I think there’s a player in there (as seen at Hudds). He just lost his way a little.

McPhail often looked slow and ponderous - but that’s because his mind and vision were that far ahead of the opposition, he had time and knew exactly what he was doing before the ball even reached him.

 

I think Russell has shown glimpses of quality from day one and will only get better as he settles in, not sure I agree with the Kane bashing though, he was outstanding last season and seems to be playing deeper this season which probably means taking less risks with his passing.

 

Not sure why you need to get a dig at Kane into what was otherwise a reasonable post. Kane has far more impact on the game than Russell, and I’m genuinely mystified at the negativity aimed towards him.

 

It would for me.

 

He plays like a Jamaican - me doing this in me own time jah

Love him though

 

Both Kane and Russell are too slow and ponderous

 

I dont think Russell is slow,If you had a 4ft player running against him his legs would be going like the clappers,whilst Russell would just glide past him with his long stride.
Years ago people said Trevor Brooking was slow but when he came to Oakwell with West Ham years ago he just seem to glide all over the pitch leaving so called faster players in his stride.I think its a case of appearence not particulary a fact.

 

It wasn’t a ‘dig’ at Kane, it is to my eye a fair observation. Did you think he played well today? Honestly?

He was ok last season, excellent on the odd occasion, but frustrated me at times - and this season more so. He’s very predictable. 90% of the time he receives the ball, he stops dead, flicks it through his legs on the half turn, and plays a backwards or sidewards pass.

I think he has mainly been poor this season. I attribute that to a slightly different role so it’s not all on him.

He seemed to be a little further forward today though, at times anyway. From the left, more like last season than other games; I hoped he’d grow into the game and be more effective. It never happened. It might on Tuesday.

I want all our players to succeed, I’m pleased Russell has improved, I’m happy Kane is still here after what he said early in the window - but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to point out weaknesses in players which affect the team. Especially when it is players we’ve seen more from in the past.

The beauty of it is that there is so much more to come from this team for me, so much improvement; but we are already in winning form anyway - even with the issues we carry. Tuesday will be a good test and might give a decent gauge as to where we are currently at compared to the other sides likely to be at the upper end of the table with us.

 

Kane's best game for ages.

 

Posted on matchday thread I thowt Burton targeted the mid two after half time. also said I dint think Kane was on top of his game today but also agree with a lot of posts that think they both need to move the ball quicker..

 

But you ‘pointing out weaknesses’ is simply your opinion, and, of course, you are entitled to it. Me being mystified is, equally, my opinion. To me, Kane was the heartbeat of the team, particularly in the first half, and it was clear that the manager had given him the role of making himself available to our defenders when playing out from the back. Which is clearly our game plan at the moment. Russell did OK. But he’s set himself a pretty low bar. Let’s hope there’s a lot more to come from him.

 

It's because he's carrying that sled all on his own.

 

He does look slow but he’s always so composed on the ball.

I’m glad he’s stepped up so far because Luca was a big hole to fill.