Brennan Johnson had a mixed start at Tottenham. The Wales forward joined the club from Nottingham Forest on deadline day in September for £47m, a hefty fee for a player whose first campaign in the Premier League had been solid, not spectacular. Johnson scored eight goals in 38 league appearances for Forest last season, a decent contribution but perhaps not enough to justify his substantial price tag. Nevertheless, Spurs needed a direct and versatile winger who would boost their homegrown quota.
Ange Postecoglou wants his wide players to hog the touchline and either make darting runs behind defences or get to the byline and put back the ball into the box. In that sense, Johnson was an ideal acquisition. But Spurs fans were unconvinced and his early form did not look promising.
The 22-year-old probably played more often than he expected earlier in the season. With Spurs beset by injuries, Johnson was relied upon more frequently than he was ready for. With Son Heung-min on international duty and James Maddison, Manor Solomon and Richarlison all injured at one point or another, Johnson was thrust into the team.
He struggled to adapt, producing just one goal and two assists in his first 14 appearances. The youngster was starting every week but looked out of sorts and very much out of form. As his teammates returned from injury and he was pulled out of the spotlight, though, the penny started to drop for Johnson. He started to have an impact on games from the bench. Against tiring legs, Johnson’s pace was an important weapon. He scored a vital equaliser in the 3-2 win over Brentford in January and hit a 96th-minute winner in the victory over Brighton in February, as well as chipping in with important assists against Crystal Palace and Luton.
Johnson has been deadly from the bench this season, contributing to six goals after coming on – more than any other player in the Premier League. In fact, half of his goal contributions have come when used as a substitute.
Crucially, he is now showing that form when picked to start games. His last two goals – in the 4-0 win at Aston Villa a few weeks ago and the 1-1 draw against West Ham on Tuesday night – came in games he started. Johnson has found his feet, grown in confidence and is shaking off the super-sub tag.
It’s no coincidence that Johnson’s form improved after Timo Werner joined Tottenham on loan in January. The German’s arrival from RB Leipzig means Spurs can deploy two direct wide threats on the pitch at the same time. With both Werner and Johnson in the side, Spurs can stretch opposition defences and create more space.
The pair are also starting to combine. Johnson set up Werner’s first goal for the club, in the 3-1 win against Crystal Palace, and Werner has returned the favour by setting up Johnson to score against Brentford and West Ham. The pair are developing a mutually beneficial relationship on opposite flanks, which is exactly what Postecoglou had in mind when he signed them. Johnson is enjoying the partnership. “I am understanding his play a lot more and he is understanding mine, so it was nice for him to cut the ball across for me to score,” he said after the West Ham game on Tuesday night.
Marking Johnson out of games was a lot more straightforward for defenders earlier in the season but, now that Spurs have two fast and incisive wide players, they can be more direct and open up opposition defences. Dejan Kulusevski is a handy option for Postecoglou – even if he put in a disappointing cameo at West Ham in midweek – but he does not offer the same drive in possession as Johnson and Werner. If Spurs are to secure a place in the Champions League next season, they need that attacking verve. Johnson’s fee looked excessive at first, but he is starting to show why Spurs spent big.
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