Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season and made the move to appoint Daniel Farke as their new head coach.
The German boss has been brought in to win promotion back to the big time at the first time of asking and has a proven track record of being able to get out of the Championship, with two title wins during his spell with Norwich City.
Statistic | 2018/19 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|
Points | 94 | 97 |
Goals for | 93 | 75 |
Goals against | 57 | 36 |
Games won | 27 | 29 |
Farke’s Championship title-winning seasons with Norwich (via Sky Sports): | ||
He knows what it takes to make it up to the top-flight and has made a strong start to the current campaign with the club sitting fifth and in the play-off places after 11 matches.
One of the ex-Canaries coach’s biggest strengths is his development and use of youth, as the 46-year-old tactician once stated that he likes to improve young players.
Charlie Cresswell is a player who could be the next ace to benefit from Farke’s coaching as the talented youngster is a promising defender who could develop into being Joe Rodon 2.0 for the German boss.
Where did Cresswell start his career?
The centre-back has been with Leeds since the age of 11 in 2013 and has progressed his way through the ranks at Thorp Arch before making his way into the first-team squad.
He emerged as an option at U18 level during the 2018/19 campaign and played four FA Youth Cup matches in that term and the subsequent season combined, in which time the towering ace contributed with an impressive two goals and one assist.
Cresswell played his first game against a first-team outfit in the 2020/21 season as he lined up at centre-back for Leeds’ U21 side against Blackpool in the EFL Trophy.
His team lost the game 3-0 but that did not stop him from producing an outstanding defensive display. As per Sofascore, the young ace made six clearances, seven tackles, and one block. He also won 14 of his 17 physical duels throughout the match as the English titan proved himself to be ready to deal with the physicality of the professional game.
Cresswell made 21 Premier League 2 appearances throughout the rest of that campaign and then went on to make his first-team debut the following year.
The Thorp Arch graduate played five Premier League matches during the 2021/22 season, with four of them coming under Marcelo Bielsa, and that included his debut as a starter against West Ham United.
Statistic | Cresswell’s Premier League debut |
|---|---|
Minutes played | 90 |
% of duels won | 50 (4/8) |
Pass accuracy | 75% |
Possession lost | 19x |
Cresswell against West Ham September 2021 (via Sofascore) | |
His exposure to first-team football that term then led to his maiden loan away from Elland Road as the England U21 international completed a temporary switch to Millwall during the summer transfer window in 2022.
How did Cresswell perform for Millwall?
The £2.1k-per-week gem hit the ground running at the Den and enjoyed a terrific season as he proved himself to be capable of delivering quality performances on a consistent basis at Championship level.
Cresswell went on to play 28 league matches for Gary Rowett’s side and caught the eye with his attacking impact and superb defensive contributions.
He made himself a huge threat from set-plays for Millwall and ended the campaign with four goals and two assists from a centre-back position.
As per FBRef, the Leeds loanee ranked within the top 7% of players in his position at Championship level for non-penalty goals per 90 and placed in the top 7% for xAG (Expected Assisted Goals) per 90.
Cresswell also made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game along with a duel success rate of 60% over the course of the campaign in London.
His aerial dominance was on full display as the 6 foot 3 titan, whose heading ability was lauded as “powerful” by journalist Josh Bunting, ranked within the top 1% of his positional peers in the Championship for aerial battles won per 90 (5.77).
These statistics show that Cresswell has already proven himself to be an outstanding performer in the second tier in certain areas of the game, which is why he could be the long-term successor to Rodon at Elland Road.
How has Rodon performed this season?
The Wales international joined on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer and has had a mixed start to his career in Yorkshire.
Rodon has played eight times in the Championship and been solid for the majority of his time on the pitch, barring a red card for two bookable offences against Hull City back in September.
The 25-year-old ace has made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game and showcased his aerial dominance with a duel success rate of 69% in the air, as per Sofascore.
As a right-footed player, Rodon has lined up on the right of the central defensive partnership, mainly next to Pascal Struijk, and that is a role that would suit Cresswell, who also prefers to play on that side.
What’s next for Cresswell?
The giant enforcer should not worry too much about his lack of minutes this season, with one league start so far, as Farke and the club placed their faith in him with a new four-year contract over the summer.
This suggests that the German head coach still sees a future for Cresswell at Elland Road but Rodon has been brought in to be the first-choice in the here-and-now.
The Leeds youngster now, who was once dubbed “impressive” by the aforementioned Bunting, has more time to develop and improve in order to get to a point where he is ready to start week-in-week-out for the Whites in that right-sided centre-back position.
Rodon’s loan comes to an end next summer and Cresswell has until then to prove to Farke that he can be the manager’s next version of the Welsh titan and replace him for the 2024/25.
His impressive statistics for Millwall suggest that the 21-year-old ace is on the right track and he must use his current lack of game time as fuel to push him further in training and when the head coach does give him an opportunity to prove himself on the pitch.
