Southampton FC see new side of Shea Charles: View | OneFootball

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The international break came at a bad time for Southampton FC with them firing on all cylinders.

Russell Martin’s side are unbeaten in their last eight Championship outings with six of these games ending in a Saints’ victory.

Shea Charles is a player who has been used sparingly along this stretch, starting just once alongside six cameo appearances from the sidelines.

Charles assisted the opener for Northern Ireland as they beat Denmark 2-0 though, showing that he does have something to contribute at St. Marys. The question facing Martin is how can Southampton unlock this attacking side of his game?

Shea Charles pushing forward for Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland started this international break with a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Finland.

Former Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki got on the scoresheet as did one of his current teammates for Minnesota United in Major League Soccer, Robin Lod.

Michael O’Neill’s side bounced back in emphatic fashion, albeit against a weakened Denmark side.

Shea Charles assisted Isaac Price of Standard Liege for the opener before Bolton Wanderers’ Dion Charles made it 2-0 in the 81st minute.

Thomas Delaney, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Youssef Poulsen and Joakim Maehle were just some of the experienced Danes who started the game on the sidelines but that shouldn’t take away from this huge result for Northern Ireland.

Charles’ assist is actually his first goal contribution of his career but this could well be a sign of things to come from the former Manchester City youngster.

The defensive side of the game is his bread and butter, yet he is still just 20 years of age and so has a lot of growth still to go in the world of football.

How can he contribute in the Southampton attack?

Southampton certainly aren’t struggling for goals in the Championship, after all, Martin’s side are scoring 1.69 goals per 90 which has them tied fourth in the division alongside Plymouth Argyle, Leeds United, and Sunderland.

Their xG is actually the joint best in the league with Ipswich Town, at 1.85, but underperforming by this narrow margin isn’t the be-all and end-all down on the South Coast.

An xGa of 1.21 comes at a differential of -0.42 when compared to the amount of the goals that the team are actually conceding so that is maybe the end of the field where matters need to be addressed.

Shea Charles has six starts to his name in the league as well as playing the full 90 in the League Cup defeat at the hands of League Two side Gillingham.

He has looked solid at the base of midfield when played there and yet Russell Martin seems to be favouring the likes of Will Smallbone and West Ham United loanee Flynn Downes.

It's a promising sign with the future in mind that Charles has showcased his attacking qualities while on international duty. The Northern Irishman showed a playmaking instinct for his country and the Southampton faithful would love to see that shine through for them as well at some point.

It's proof of just how much the rising star has in his locker and you feel that given the way the Saints dominate many of their matches, it's a side of his game we may see in the Championship soon.