There’s plenty of posh cars in SW6 and after Saturday’s performance, Tim Sherwood called our Summer Midfield recruit “a Rolls-Royce of a midfielder” on Sky after the Hull Match. For once, it’s hard to disagree with him.
Charles arrived at Fulham from Southampton in August for £30m, the most expensive Northern Irish footballer ever. That’s a big tag for a 22-year-old, and Saturday’s 1-0 win over Hull at the Cottage was a good example of why Fulham paid it.
The Hull game
Charles started in the holding role alongside Sander Berge, and Fulham controlled the game from the first whistle. We had 76% of the ball, 18 shots to Hull’s 5 and an xG of 1.77 to 0.16. Hull never managed a shot on target, so Bernd Leno didn’t have a save to make all afternoon.
Charles was a big part of that. He won six of his 10 duels and made three tackles, which is exactly what you want from one half of your midfield shield. He also completed 18 of his 23 passes (78%), and one of them created a big chance.
The stats aren’t that eye-catching, but the doesn’t need to be - it’s the way that Charles glides across a football pitch. With Hull sat in a 5-4-1, his job was to step forward and break the lines rather than pass sideways, and that’s where the risk in his passing comes from. Put these traits together and you get a midfielder who wins the ball back, carries it out of pressure and starts attacks.
How has he improved us?
We’ve only seen a glimpse of how Shea’s made us better, but we’re now well aware of what he brings. And I’m excited by it.
At 6ft 2in and a right-footed carrier, he adds physicality without losing composure. He wins the ball back. Six duels won and three tackles is the work of a proper screen in front of the back line. That’s a big reason Hull never got a shot on target.
Of the few elements of Fulham under Silva I disliked - the double pivot was something we never really got the hang of with Berge/Lukic or Berge/Iwobi, because it was often too attacking or too defensive. But Charles brings a balance in how he progresses play. He’s not just a destroyer a la João Palhinha (miss you).
What’s his ceiling?
While some in the media have already suggested top teams like Manchester United should come in for him. That’s a lot of noise only a few weeks after he signed, but it tells you how he’s being rated. He’s 22 and has already played in the Championship and the Premier League. The ceiling is high.
Composure in midfield is an asset, if he adds goals and a few assists around that - I can see the big boys sniffing about our newest motor. For now I’m not worried about the future, Fulham have a midfielder who wins the ball, carries it, and makes the team look more composed. If he keeps this up, £30m will look like really decent business.