POWELL’S CLASS HELPS SEE OFF OLD BOSS
THERE was just a hint of a Nathan Jones-style chest thump from Nick Powell after he scored Stoke City’s decisive second goal at Luton.
Jones was the manager who signed Powell but barely played him last season before he was sacked almost exactly a year ago, ultimately returning to steer Luton Town’s rescue mission at the bottom of the Championship.
Powell doesn’t do many interviews, so it’ll take an educated guess on his feelings about it all.
Either way, the playmaker stayed put to emerge as a key figure under Jones’ successor Michael O’neill.
It was no coincidence that with him in the saddle, Stoke were only outscored by Leeds and Brentford during O’neill’s time in charge last season.
The system has been changed this term and Powell has been used on the right of a midfield three.
But finding a role to get the best out of his talents might be the key to squeezing the most out of the whole team. At Luton, against Jones, he was on the left of attack in a 3-4-3.
And he was instrumental in a period at the start of the second half when Stoke seized control and, after Steven Fletcher had broken the deadlock within 60 seconds, he pounced to score after a scramble.
O’neill said: “We played 3-4-3 so he was playing off the left and he’s played there for us previously in a 4-3-3 so he’s capable of doing that.
“It’s good because he has to be a little bit more disciplined in that position, which is what we need from him. When he is disciplined and plays in that way, he’s an extremely good player.
“Not only his ability on the ball, he wins headers, he’s a goal threat and he linked well with Steven Fletcher. It was a good performance from Nick.”
Powell was eventually forced off with about 20 minutes to go after fielding a couple of heavy tackles from the hosts.
O’neill said: “Yes, he took a few heavy knocks. Look, it was a physical game. Challenges were there.
“Luton have had a very good start to the season and showed why. We had to stand up to that and when we got the chance it was important we took it.”
When you’re keeping clean sheets at the rate Stoke are – it’s five in a row in away matches in league and cup – impressive 20-minute attacking periods are decisive.
Four of those five games have been won.
If the results are textbook, it’s also, insists the manager, work in progress.
O’neill said: “If we score twice every week and keep a clean sheet every week then we’re going in the right direction. It’s not going to happen like that!
“But today we were pleased. I thought first half there wasn’t a lot in the
game. I think we got a bit of a nearly performance, but we addressed that in the second half, particularly the first 20 minutes of the second half. I thought we were excellent.
“We had to defend later in the game which is natural when you’re away from home and have a two-goal lead, but overall it was a good day for us and a lot of things to be positive about.”
O’neill had made four changes to his starting XI from the draw with Birmingham before the international break.
In came Nathan Collins with a bandaged left fractured hand to replace Morgan Fox (calf) and back came Danny Batth in place of James Chester (calf ). James Mcclean injured a foot on Ireland duty.
Powell was back in and Tyrese Campbell started on the right of attack.
Campbell set up Fletcher’s goal with a lovely cross, dinking back to sweep in, and he had a couple of mazy runs as he cut in from wide.
“I like him playing off the right in that situation,” said O’neill. “We forget at times that Ty is only 20, he’s a young player. We had Nathan Collins, Harry Souttar, Josh Tymon, all 21 and under playing in the team. That was a positive.
“When he plays off the right, Ty’s up against a fullback more often than not and that probably helps him a little bit physically. He looked a threat every time we could get him the ball today in that area of the pitch.”
Jones was adamant that Luton had enjoyed the better of the game apart the goals, for what that’s worth.
The Stoke defence is tough to breach, he pointed out too, and when it is breached, there is a goalkeeper in Adam Davies who is equal to almost everything being chucked at him at the moment, like late shots from Joe Morrell and Glen Rea.
“He’s a good keeper,” said Jones. “Ironically I signed him and Nick Powell and they both punished me in terms of this game.
“Stoke have real quality, a squad full of talented players and they can punish you. If you switch off, they can punish you and they did that.”
He added: “The frustrating thing is it’s not like we don’t know what their threats are.
“I thought for the majority of the game we were excellent. I thought first half we controlled the game superbly well and looked a proper side. We lacked a bit of cutting edge right in the final third, but apart from that I thought we dominated.
“We wanted to come out and start well, so to concede within a minute kills you.
“It’s not like it’s come from an unbelievable source.
Steven Fletcher’s been doing that for 80 years.
“That’s the real frustrating thing for us. Then we don’t compose ourselves, we lose headers - and to be fair they’re a big side. We knew we were going to be stretched defensively but we didn’t react well enough.
“From a real positive performance for possession, shots, shots on target, everything, we should have got more out of the game but we didn’t because lapses cost us.”