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So any 18 year old attacking midfielder could look as impressive as Powell has tonight.
Okay...
But surely any 18 year old playing in such a technically demanding position would be deemed 'promising', no?
I just took that as being a given really.
Pleased with how he has played. Very assured for an 18 year old on the ball
Has had a few loose touches still but I like his game. Crazy stuff from an 18 year old.
He's good, has that bit of over-eagerness that most 18 year-olds suffer from and he did get caught out by the pace of the game but considering he's gone from Morecombe to Galatasaray in a year he did really well.
better than fabregas.....at not throwing pizza
He has everything in his locker. He just needs to put it all together, coped well with a baptism of fire. His header reminded me of someone too 
Has still a very long way to go
Good game from him. He looks very promising. But lets not do the whole Jones-thing again and overrate him to ridiculous levels. Hes young and will only play sporadically for the time being.
Godd game, he will take his time but I feel he might be very good for us.
Very good first half but drifted out of it after we conceded.
Promising mind you.
Promising mind you.
Promising game, never was over the top unbelievable but as an 18yr old in midfield did not look out of place. Very good from him today, and nice to see he's got that goalscoring threat
Hard to believe he's 18. Has potential to be a real top player for us for many years.
I was really pleased by him tonight. He looked a little nervy, and faded in the second half, but he was heavily involved in the first half and for a debutant really wasn't afraid to put himself about - especially against that cnut Melo.
He also looks phenomally physically developed for an 18 year old, and doesn't look out of place in the first team. Promising stuff, I'm sure the best is yet to come.
He also looks phenomally physically developed for an 18 year old, and doesn't look out of place in the first team. Promising stuff, I'm sure the best is yet to come.
Looks good, was clearly unused to speed the game was played at and the strength of the gala players but in general he coped well and very unlucky not to score. Really hope in jan he gets a loan, think he's clearly too good for the reserved but he won't get a huge amount of chances in the first team.
Yeah, I forgot he was 18. He tended to get caught on the ball, as not used to the level (CL after all) but apart from that he didn't look out of place at all.
It's the first time I've gotten a good look at him play and I was impressed, sure people can pick some flaws as it's his first big game at 18 years of age, however for me his composure on the ball and vision for a pass was very pleasing, once he gets up to speed he's going to be a very exciting prospect IMO.
Agreed, he needs regular competitive football so he can have a real go at the first team next season.
Agreed, he needs regular competitive football so he can have a real go at the first team next season.
He's a big talent, but still has a lot to learn, and this season is too early for him. I'd expect him to figure in Fergie's plans next season though.
That was a real baptism of fire, Galatasaray were well up for that. It's crazy to think he was playing in league 2 last year, and now he's playing away in Europe in one of the most hostile and intense atmosphere's he'll ever experience. Great learning experience for him.
Absolutely.
Despite being caught out a couple of times, there's a real Berbatov-esque elegance to him on the ball. But some bite to go with it, which is crucial.
If he adapts well to playing central midfield it will be a massive boost for us. We are really lacking a player who is tall and athletic in there. Carrick is our only experienced midfielder who is anywhere near 6 foot and he isn't particularly fast, strong or agile.
Makes playing against teams that press so much easier when your midfielders are mobile, and helps against teams like Everton, West Ham and Stoke to have midfielders who help out in the air.
Makes playing against teams that press so much easier when your midfielders are mobile, and helps against teams like Everton, West Ham and Stoke to have midfielders who help out in the air.
He was a bit too keen to play the killer ball I thought, but it's a good sign that he's got the confidence to try and play those balls now. For the first month or so he looked a bit in awe of things...now I'm more impressed every time I watch him.
Was pleased with his performance, 18 vs Gala away, it was going to be a hard test but he did well.
Not like an 18yr old Rooney against Fene' well but it was a good debut for powell and was inches away from his first goal in Europe.
Now, considering he's playing behind the striker ( one of the hardest positions to play ) he did quite well, got a very bad tackle from Melo in the first half and found it really hard to have a sniff of the ball. But he comfortably changed his game play, got in a bit deeper at times, tried some nice little 1-2's with Welbeck showing that he's understanding the players around him much more. His position didn't allow him to really express himself with the passing department but he did try a few hollywood passes which didn't come off but nevertheless it was the visioin that I thought was impressive for an 18 yr old and his courage to try things.
He also gets stuck in really well, great work rate !
I'd rate him about 6.5-7/10. He'll just get better and better and hopefully we'll see him a bit more this season.
Not like an 18yr old Rooney against Fene' well but it was a good debut for powell and was inches away from his first goal in Europe.
Now, considering he's playing behind the striker ( one of the hardest positions to play ) he did quite well, got a very bad tackle from Melo in the first half and found it really hard to have a sniff of the ball. But he comfortably changed his game play, got in a bit deeper at times, tried some nice little 1-2's with Welbeck showing that he's understanding the players around him much more. His position didn't allow him to really express himself with the passing department but he did try a few hollywood passes which didn't come off but nevertheless it was the visioin that I thought was impressive for an 18 yr old and his courage to try things.
He also gets stuck in really well, great work rate !
I'd rate him about 6.5-7/10. He'll just get better and better and hopefully we'll see him a bit more this season.
Some very nice touches and passes and didn't shy away from the game which is impressive in itself seeing as he was "done" early on and how hostile that place is.
6/10.
6/10.
Not been blown away by any one of his performances yet, but the more he plays the more you see a potential class act in him.
If we want to nit-pick I am sure we can find many things wrong with this performance though I was hugely impressed. For an 18 year old to come and perform admirably in a tough away fixture was a joy to watch. He has obvious talent, which would get refined as he matures and finds more opportunities. Unlike some, I don't want to see him out on loan. Another start in the Cluj game, may be one or two in the FA cup games combined with some sub appearances in the PL and CL would this do him a world of good. The more he trains with the first team the better accustomed he would get with his teammates and our style of play.
18 year old promising pace of game many years to come obvious talent hard place to go didn't look out of place learning Crewe Champions league
Re-arrange these words into any sentence and re-post.
For 10 pages.
Re-arrange these words into any sentence and re-post.
For 10 pages.
I like him a lot, did well last night but feck me, some deluded posters have him as MOTM?
Yeah, seems an overreaction to me. It was a good CL debut.
This, however, is what a great CL debut looks like:
Similar age, similar circumstances.
Did well...pleasing to see.
Did well but thought he was more impressive in the Chelsea game where we were up against it a lot more
Yup, they've had almost identical career trajectories so far!
Today's post on strettynews...
Prepared for Scholes retirement with Powell?
Written on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 by Paul Rowles in Opinion, Players
After Paul Scholes incorrectly initially thought that his body could not hack the strains and demands of football at the highest level and called it quits on an astonishing career, shudders of fear and apprehension were reverberating around Old Trafford as to who his heir apparent would be.
Many candidates have tried so far to prove to the manager that they are indeed that man who can fill those illustrious boots of the ginger maestro, affectionately known as ‘sat-nav’ to his peers, mainly due to his unerring accuracy of passing.
But maybe we have a ready-made replacement amongst our ranks. In September United comfortably cruised past Wigan 4-0 at Old Trafford. One debutant got the man of the match award (Alexander Buttner) but it was another debutant who stole all the limelight and drew special praise from the manager. Mark down this time and date — 4.36 p.m. on September 15, 2012. It may the moment a future United great began his career.
‘He will be our new Paul Scholes in the future’. The manager was adamant, for him to come out and be so direct in his expectations is quite abnormal. Normally a man who errs on the side of caution in forthrightly praising players, the master of player protection and management, Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced that Nick Powell, signed in the summer for £4 million from Crewe, is the man to become the next Manchester United star.
To be earmarked so soon to be Scholes’ successor after a handful of training sessions and after a goalscoring debut speaks volumes of Ferguson’s conviction and the early strides that Powell has already made in his fledgling United career. It was some statement from the manager, and could easily have placed an enormous dosage of pressure on the young lad’s shoulders, but it seems like he enjoys the attention. When he was turning heads in League 2 last season, the sudden exposure to the boy’s feats only seemed to enhance his playing performance and set ridiculously impressive standards at such a tender age. Which is why capturing the boy for a meagre £4 million in today’s transfer climate is extremely astute. The deal was actually done in principle before the Playoff final, which Powell subsequently scored an absolute gem, showing that he thrives on the attention and is always keen to display his undoubted talent.
Upon hearing Ferguson’s praise after the Wigan match, Powell admitted that it was both ‘amazing and daunting’ to hear such endearing words from Britain’s best ever manager. So where have the comparisons, to the man who Xavi, Zidane and Guardiola amongst others have proclaimed to be the best midfielder of his generation, emanated from? His goal against Wigan was an eerily carbon copy of a Paul Scholes goal we have seen countless times over the years, particularly a strike against Copenhagen in the Champions League, this only added further weight to the initial assessment that Powell was the next Scholes. With a drop of the shoulder and a shimmy of the hips, he had sight of goal and unleashed an unstoppable shot. It was a finish reminiscent of a young Paul Scholes, showing the calmness and ability Scholes exudes to this day.
Paul Scholes was and probably will always be the prime example and blueprint to any goalscoring midfielder, having notched double figures eight times during his time with United. In his first professional season with Crewe, Powell scored sixteen times as they gained promotion to League 1. Powell seems to have benefited from having Scholes around on the training ground, he has picked up on what made Scholes such a stellar performer in midfield and has already shown distinct features and qualities to get United fans hoping that he can replicate the feats of Scholes. Powell was arguably the most impressive of a young crop of United players in our defeat to Galatasaray last night, despite being on the receiving end of some aggressive tackles from the Turks, Powell never went hiding and was always demanding the ball. Playing in behind the strikers, a position that Scholes flourished in in his early days, Powell proved a very creative link between midfield and strikers, linking up well with Danny Welbeck and Chicharito for the most part.
One thing Scholes mastered and became his trademark was arriving in the box right on cue, Powell showed glimpses last night that he has picked up this quality but the service was not quite up to standard last night meaning he could not get on the end of anything. Despite Scholes scoring a lot of headers over the years, he has not been blessed with height, at eighteen years old Powell stands at six foot plus, and is therefore a threat in the air, a point emphasised with him being desperately unlucky not to notch his second goal in United colours with a towering header that rattled the Galatasaray crossbar. It was a performance that left United fans purring, wanting more. It seems as though Powell is on the cusp of a breakthrough at United, the hardest thing is to make your way initially as a youngster such is the competition for places at United. All Powell has to do is to keep putting in the hard yards and playing akin to last night and he will be a prominent member of our first team squad in no time. He will be hard to leave out if he continues this steady upward curve.
For all the hype and expectation that has suddenly arisen following his promising start, Powell seems to mix a fearless attitude with a very level-headed approach. After the manager was waxing lyrical in the post-match interview against Wigan, Powell responded with a very composed and classy answer, much like his playing style:
“The expectations of you are there, but it’s fulfilling those expectations which is the challenge, especially when you consider that there will probably never be another Scholes. What he has achieved in his career is more than most people can dream of – to achieve even half of what he has would be brilliant. Hopefully I’m on the right path.”
Whenever anyone is compared to a stalwart or deemed the ‘next’ someone, it can more often than not be a curse rather than a compliment as the pressure to succeed intensifies, almost setting the bar too high, people can be focused rather too much on emulating rather than just getting on with business. But Powell could fill Scholes’ position for years. He has at least one more year to learn from the ultimate craftsman, which will only enhance his all-round game. Lionel Messi said that Scholes is ‘a teacher, his name is mentioned a lot here’ to Barcelona’s academy players, in this sense Powell will be a beneficiary. Scholes had a stint of coaching United’s kids when he retired for the first time, he is not a novice at giving youngsters in his position the best advice, and who better to learn from than the best in the art of midfield goalscoring? Scholes would be more than happy to impart his knowledge and nous to his potential successor as there is no ego in the man. He is very much the antithesis of the modern-day footballer who craves the limelight. Flashy to Scholes is going to watch Oldham, his boyhood club on a weekend. Powell could not possibly ask for a better mentor.
Many players in the past who have signed by the manager and entrusted to become the next big thing have fallen by the away side by succumbing to the enormities and pressures of playing for the best club in the world. You need to be of a certain mould to cut it at United. Powell seems to have the head and coolness needed to excel in the pressure situations. Not fazed by appearing in a Playoff final at the home of football for his boyhood club, Powell scored a worldie which turned heads. Most youngsters who join United are given a bedding in period or sent on loan to concentrate on regular football. Powell is a different entity, the manager rebuffed several attempts by Championship clubs to temporarily secure one of Britain’s hottest talents, and instead he was featuring in supposed ‘hell’ in Istanbul and excelling. On debut for United, he was stepping up 3 divisions. It took him fifteen minutes to announce himself, he was a United player and here to stay.
Sir Alex s a firm believer in our midfielders notching double figures, something that has become a rarity in recent years following Scholes adopting a deeper role in midfield. We have always had midfielders who have scored goals during the Ferguson legacy- Bryan Robson, Lee Sharpe, Paul Ince, Ryan Giggs, Andrei Kanchelskis, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and so on. It was a vital component in our quest for success, if we can rediscover this knack we will be heading places. Powell has already shown during his brief career that he knows where the goal is. Scholes’ trademark was ghosting into the box unnoticed freeing up the space needed to get goals. Powell has shown examples of this trait, and that is the key to midfield goalscoring, the timing of the run is as important as the finish. Powell will be a free scorer of goals if he perfects his runs into the box. This added with his aerial threat will always make him a handful and a menacing proposition, meaning he could easily replicate Scholes’ annual goal tallies in his pomp.
As far as players hoping to make the grade, is there a better place to learn your trade than at Manchester United? The place where so many over the years have gone on to become global stars and adored by many. Our history speaks for itself in this respect, the Class of 92 was envied by many and is still to this day a one-off sensation. Beckham, Scholes, Butt, Giggs and the Nevilles all made their name at United, if we look back in the archives, there are midfielders like Bobby Charlton, George Best, Duncan Edwards, Nobby Stiles, David Sadler and Sammy McIlroy, who all are considered greats of the game. Growing our own fruit has always been a hallmark of Manchester United and we have a long and distinguished history of producing some of the best midfielders to have ever graced the beautiful game. Powell also comes to the club as we try to build the next great team, the next Ferguson classic. He is surrounded by top young talents in all positions who will form the spine of United for years to come. In David De Gea, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Rafael, Tom Cleverly and Danny Welbeck, Powell joins a team that has a great foundation and could feasibly stay together for a long time.
The hype surrounding Powell is to be expected given that many predict that Scholes’ actual retirement will leave a big hole and will need filling. If Powell continues to hard work on the training pitch and stay level-headed, something which is not a given with the youngsters of today, then he will get the opportunities to show he can fill the void. If Powell keeps on improving at the rate he is, he could potentially mean we save millions in the future by it not being necessary to fork out top dollar for a midfielder. £4M could turn out to be pennies if Powell can be half as good as Scholes.
Maybe we have a player on our hands who could replace the great Paul Scholes?
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Prepared for Scholes retirement with Powell?
Written on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 by Paul Rowles in Opinion, Players
After Paul Scholes incorrectly initially thought that his body could not hack the strains and demands of football at the highest level and called it quits on an astonishing career, shudders of fear and apprehension were reverberating around Old Trafford as to who his heir apparent would be.
Many candidates have tried so far to prove to the manager that they are indeed that man who can fill those illustrious boots of the ginger maestro, affectionately known as ‘sat-nav’ to his peers, mainly due to his unerring accuracy of passing.
But maybe we have a ready-made replacement amongst our ranks. In September United comfortably cruised past Wigan 4-0 at Old Trafford. One debutant got the man of the match award (Alexander Buttner) but it was another debutant who stole all the limelight and drew special praise from the manager. Mark down this time and date — 4.36 p.m. on September 15, 2012. It may the moment a future United great began his career.
‘He will be our new Paul Scholes in the future’. The manager was adamant, for him to come out and be so direct in his expectations is quite abnormal. Normally a man who errs on the side of caution in forthrightly praising players, the master of player protection and management, Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced that Nick Powell, signed in the summer for £4 million from Crewe, is the man to become the next Manchester United star.
To be earmarked so soon to be Scholes’ successor after a handful of training sessions and after a goalscoring debut speaks volumes of Ferguson’s conviction and the early strides that Powell has already made in his fledgling United career. It was some statement from the manager, and could easily have placed an enormous dosage of pressure on the young lad’s shoulders, but it seems like he enjoys the attention. When he was turning heads in League 2 last season, the sudden exposure to the boy’s feats only seemed to enhance his playing performance and set ridiculously impressive standards at such a tender age. Which is why capturing the boy for a meagre £4 million in today’s transfer climate is extremely astute. The deal was actually done in principle before the Playoff final, which Powell subsequently scored an absolute gem, showing that he thrives on the attention and is always keen to display his undoubted talent.
Upon hearing Ferguson’s praise after the Wigan match, Powell admitted that it was both ‘amazing and daunting’ to hear such endearing words from Britain’s best ever manager. So where have the comparisons, to the man who Xavi, Zidane and Guardiola amongst others have proclaimed to be the best midfielder of his generation, emanated from? His goal against Wigan was an eerily carbon copy of a Paul Scholes goal we have seen countless times over the years, particularly a strike against Copenhagen in the Champions League, this only added further weight to the initial assessment that Powell was the next Scholes. With a drop of the shoulder and a shimmy of the hips, he had sight of goal and unleashed an unstoppable shot. It was a finish reminiscent of a young Paul Scholes, showing the calmness and ability Scholes exudes to this day.
Paul Scholes was and probably will always be the prime example and blueprint to any goalscoring midfielder, having notched double figures eight times during his time with United. In his first professional season with Crewe, Powell scored sixteen times as they gained promotion to League 1. Powell seems to have benefited from having Scholes around on the training ground, he has picked up on what made Scholes such a stellar performer in midfield and has already shown distinct features and qualities to get United fans hoping that he can replicate the feats of Scholes. Powell was arguably the most impressive of a young crop of United players in our defeat to Galatasaray last night, despite being on the receiving end of some aggressive tackles from the Turks, Powell never went hiding and was always demanding the ball. Playing in behind the strikers, a position that Scholes flourished in in his early days, Powell proved a very creative link between midfield and strikers, linking up well with Danny Welbeck and Chicharito for the most part.
One thing Scholes mastered and became his trademark was arriving in the box right on cue, Powell showed glimpses last night that he has picked up this quality but the service was not quite up to standard last night meaning he could not get on the end of anything. Despite Scholes scoring a lot of headers over the years, he has not been blessed with height, at eighteen years old Powell stands at six foot plus, and is therefore a threat in the air, a point emphasised with him being desperately unlucky not to notch his second goal in United colours with a towering header that rattled the Galatasaray crossbar. It was a performance that left United fans purring, wanting more. It seems as though Powell is on the cusp of a breakthrough at United, the hardest thing is to make your way initially as a youngster such is the competition for places at United. All Powell has to do is to keep putting in the hard yards and playing akin to last night and he will be a prominent member of our first team squad in no time. He will be hard to leave out if he continues this steady upward curve.
For all the hype and expectation that has suddenly arisen following his promising start, Powell seems to mix a fearless attitude with a very level-headed approach. After the manager was waxing lyrical in the post-match interview against Wigan, Powell responded with a very composed and classy answer, much like his playing style:
“The expectations of you are there, but it’s fulfilling those expectations which is the challenge, especially when you consider that there will probably never be another Scholes. What he has achieved in his career is more than most people can dream of – to achieve even half of what he has would be brilliant. Hopefully I’m on the right path.”
Whenever anyone is compared to a stalwart or deemed the ‘next’ someone, it can more often than not be a curse rather than a compliment as the pressure to succeed intensifies, almost setting the bar too high, people can be focused rather too much on emulating rather than just getting on with business. But Powell could fill Scholes’ position for years. He has at least one more year to learn from the ultimate craftsman, which will only enhance his all-round game. Lionel Messi said that Scholes is ‘a teacher, his name is mentioned a lot here’ to Barcelona’s academy players, in this sense Powell will be a beneficiary. Scholes had a stint of coaching United’s kids when he retired for the first time, he is not a novice at giving youngsters in his position the best advice, and who better to learn from than the best in the art of midfield goalscoring? Scholes would be more than happy to impart his knowledge and nous to his potential successor as there is no ego in the man. He is very much the antithesis of the modern-day footballer who craves the limelight. Flashy to Scholes is going to watch Oldham, his boyhood club on a weekend. Powell could not possibly ask for a better mentor.
Many players in the past who have signed by the manager and entrusted to become the next big thing have fallen by the away side by succumbing to the enormities and pressures of playing for the best club in the world. You need to be of a certain mould to cut it at United. Powell seems to have the head and coolness needed to excel in the pressure situations. Not fazed by appearing in a Playoff final at the home of football for his boyhood club, Powell scored a worldie which turned heads. Most youngsters who join United are given a bedding in period or sent on loan to concentrate on regular football. Powell is a different entity, the manager rebuffed several attempts by Championship clubs to temporarily secure one of Britain’s hottest talents, and instead he was featuring in supposed ‘hell’ in Istanbul and excelling. On debut for United, he was stepping up 3 divisions. It took him fifteen minutes to announce himself, he was a United player and here to stay.
Sir Alex s a firm believer in our midfielders notching double figures, something that has become a rarity in recent years following Scholes adopting a deeper role in midfield. We have always had midfielders who have scored goals during the Ferguson legacy- Bryan Robson, Lee Sharpe, Paul Ince, Ryan Giggs, Andrei Kanchelskis, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and so on. It was a vital component in our quest for success, if we can rediscover this knack we will be heading places. Powell has already shown during his brief career that he knows where the goal is. Scholes’ trademark was ghosting into the box unnoticed freeing up the space needed to get goals. Powell has shown examples of this trait, and that is the key to midfield goalscoring, the timing of the run is as important as the finish. Powell will be a free scorer of goals if he perfects his runs into the box. This added with his aerial threat will always make him a handful and a menacing proposition, meaning he could easily replicate Scholes’ annual goal tallies in his pomp.
As far as players hoping to make the grade, is there a better place to learn your trade than at Manchester United? The place where so many over the years have gone on to become global stars and adored by many. Our history speaks for itself in this respect, the Class of 92 was envied by many and is still to this day a one-off sensation. Beckham, Scholes, Butt, Giggs and the Nevilles all made their name at United, if we look back in the archives, there are midfielders like Bobby Charlton, George Best, Duncan Edwards, Nobby Stiles, David Sadler and Sammy McIlroy, who all are considered greats of the game. Growing our own fruit has always been a hallmark of Manchester United and we have a long and distinguished history of producing some of the best midfielders to have ever graced the beautiful game. Powell also comes to the club as we try to build the next great team, the next Ferguson classic. He is surrounded by top young talents in all positions who will form the spine of United for years to come. In David De Gea, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Rafael, Tom Cleverly and Danny Welbeck, Powell joins a team that has a great foundation and could feasibly stay together for a long time.
The hype surrounding Powell is to be expected given that many predict that Scholes’ actual retirement will leave a big hole and will need filling. If Powell continues to hard work on the training pitch and stay level-headed, something which is not a given with the youngsters of today, then he will get the opportunities to show he can fill the void. If Powell keeps on improving at the rate he is, he could potentially mean we save millions in the future by it not being necessary to fork out top dollar for a midfielder. £4M could turn out to be pennies if Powell can be half as good as Scholes.
Maybe we have a player on our hands who could replace the great Paul Scholes?
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Powell certainly has that something about him but there's no need to rush his involvement in the first team. It seems we're handling his situation quite well. Can't decide if he should go out on loan or languish in U21s waiting for a stint in the first team. He literally is on the cusp of breaking through.
I'll admit to not seeing what all the fuss is about. He looked good against Galatasaray but I didn't feel that he showed much outside of the bare minimum one would expect from an 18 year old playing for United.
Vision was okay, he makes good runs and seems to have a desire and an eye for goal. He's done okay so far but he definitely needs to show more before people can call him 'special' or be considered as being Scholes' long-term replacement.
Vision was okay, he makes good runs and seems to have a desire and an eye for goal. He's done okay so far but he definitely needs to show more before people can call him 'special' or be considered as being Scholes' long-term replacement.
I think as he continues to settle at United he's going to be another of our younger players like Cleverley and Welbeck who enjoy quick short passing football. Already a number of nice early flicks and touches to find a teammate. Perhaps he and Cleverley with someone sitting in midfield could be a 3 man midfield that produces some really nice passing football with the added goal threat of Powell.
I'll mention again what I saw from him in his first game in pre-season, I like the fact that while he's clearly not a great tackler yet, he really puts his foot in and closes people down. And you will never be able to accuse him of his challenge being too soft.
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