Player Watch Player Watch: Brennan Johnson

[tooey]

Yet to see evidence of him being pacey or fast. Certainly with the ball he is IMO just average but moves somewhat faster without the ball.

What are you on about? I don't know what the difference between pacey and fast is but he is most definitely quick without the ball. He might not have Van De Ven levels of top speed but Johnson is rapid over 20 yards.

 

[Donki]

I think this is a key point. If the club and Ange have agreed that this is a long term project with young players where we expect to see significant progress in the 3rd and 4th seasons then we just need to strap in for the ride.

Of course every manager would like the best players they can sign immediately so they can win as many trophies in the short term as possible but that just isn't a reality for all but a few managers/clubs. So they have to cut their cloth accordingly. Mixing development players with a few first team ready signings.

However, claiming that we forced certain player on the manager is veering into the territory of pushing a narrative because you just don't like player. When in reality none of us have any idea what qualities Ange identified in Johnson which he felt could work in his system.

I don’t think Ange is the sort of persona to have players he didn’t mildly accept, let it pass by. I’d say with us this is last job, he won’t let him self be fucked. Every player we have signed Ange has said *alright mate*, no doubt in my head.

 

[jakuba]

What are you on about? I don't know what the difference between pacey and fast is but he is most definitely quick without the ball. He might not have Van De Ven levels of top speed but Johnson is rapid over 20 yards.

Exactly - look at his goal away at City, he starts miles behind the play and catches up with where Werner is who was absolutely flying to skin Walker for the cross.

He’s not a 100m sprinter or Gareth Bale who could carry it from our box if he wanted. But he’s got great acceleration to beat a lot of players in a 20 yard sprint which is what the majority of sprints in football are.

 

[Donki]

Yet to see evidence of him being pacey or fast. Certainly with the ball he is IMO just average but moves somewhat faster without the ball.

I think Ange has told him *u stick high and wide, il sort the rest. If not so he wouldn’t be the first player on the team sheet. He doesn’t seem the kinda player to deliberately be lazy. From what I’ve seen, in my limited football knowledge is he is our out guy. You can’t be the out guy when ur constantly running into you own half it’s hard to be that guy. If we had a dedicated DM Brennan would not get the shit he gets from some supporters. But everyone is entitled to their opinion.

 

[Donki]

What are you on about? I don't know what the difference between pacey and fast is but he is most definitely quick without the ball. He might not have Van De Ven levels of top speed but Johnson is rapid over 20 yards.

I totally agree the kid has rapid acceleration which is much more benificial than top speed. Speed over 50m is different to speed over 100m, plus the ability to keep the ball. Lennon who I loved as a player, was classic for this, his feet at most times were 10 minutes ahead of his thought process. He ended up at the by line before he knew what he was gonna do with the ball.

 

[Donki]

As fans we need to look at the game more, VdVs goal was an awsome thing to watch, if he had lost the ball around the box, we would all be criticising him as there would be a gapping hole in defence. Our first priority signing should be a DM, 100%. I would have kept Dier in the squad, seemed to love the club and was happy to slip back to CB.

it’s a player in Diers mould we need. U can’t have lbs and rbs flinging up the pitch without a guy who sees it and knows when to fill the gaps.

 

[Donki]

So good arriving into box. Reminds me of Dele in that sense just coming in from the right when coming onto it. It makes it so difficult for defenders when an attacker is moving onto the ball at the right time for a first time shot.

I liked Dele too, imo Brennan is technically better.

 

[Thenewcat]

Yet to see evidence of him being pacey or fast. Certainly with the ball he is IMO just average but moves somewhat faster without the ball.

You’re yet to see evidence of him being fast? Here’s a hint - go and watch the goal against city last week. You’ll see him start 6-7 yards behind Werner (himself one of the fastest players in the league) and get there easily to tap the ball in. He’s one of the quickest players ever recorded in the PL for God’s sake.

If you don’t like him that’s fine, but try to keep your criticisms at least vaguely sensible

 

[Donki]

Easier way to put this, if u don’t see Brennan as quick, go to specksavers. I’d actually say he off the foot is quicker that Werner.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

10 G/A so far this season, and I was laughed at for saying he would easily get 20+ by the end of it.

Other than Mo Salah, he is on course to be the best winger in the league this season.

Ange has found a way to bring out the best in him.

 

[Donki]

You’re yet to see evidence of him being fast? Here’s a hint - go and watch the goal against city last week. You’ll see him start 6-7 yards behind Werner (himself one of the fastest players in the league) and get there easily to tap the ball in. He’s one of the quickest players ever recorded in the PL for God’s sake.

If you don’t like him that’s fine, but try to keep your criticisms at least vaguely sensible

This is harsh…. But I say fair. Brennan is rapid, I don’t mean top pace rapid but off the foot I can’t see many players keeping up.

 

[Donki]

10 G/A so far this season, and I was laughed at for saying he would easily get 20+ by the end of it.

Other than Mo Salah, he is on course to be the best winger in the league this season.

Ange has found a way to bring out the best in him.

I don’t get why he gets so much shit. He’s doing a role he has been told to do. Honestly he does the role Giggs did for United. Back then no one gave a shit how defensive they were.

 

[newbie]

You’re yet to see evidence of him being fast? Here’s a hint - go and watch the goal against city last week. You’ll see him start 6-7 yards behind Werner (himself one of the fastest players in the league) and get there easily to tap the ball in. He’s one of the quickest players ever recorded in the PL for God’s sake.

If you don’t like him that’s fine, but try to keep your criticisms at least vaguely sensible

he is very quick but doesn’t show it, loads of times he gets the ball in space with one defender ahead of him and doesn’t drive forward.

he does a lot of good things he is getting better, I think there is still more to come

 

[djhotspur]

10 G/A so far this season, and I was laughed at for saying he would easily get 20+ by the end of it.

Other than Mo Salah, he is on course to be the best winger in the league this season.

Ange has found a way to bring out the best in him.

Wait what? Based upon what? There’s numerous wingers in the league with more goal contributions than him.

 

[C1w8]

I get that hes not the trickiest of players, but the guys production right now is undeniable. 9 goals 1 assist before we've hit the christmas schedule.

Is he holding us back as a team from scoring goals right now? For me thats a firm no. Would his replacement produce in the g/a columns at a significantly higher rate than what we're getting from brennan right now again its unlikely on this seasons form. Would we get more defensive output? Possibly, but given the mould of player we're talking about its certainly debateable.

Swapping out brennan on this form for a player who can beat his man 5 times a game is not an upgrade, getting the ball in the net is way more important than that and johnsons showing he has the timing and finishing ability to do it regularly in the system we play.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Interesting quote from Ange's pre-match press conference

Go watch Celtic play, go watch Yokohama Marinos plays, go watch Brisbane Roar play, go watch the Socceroos play mate. You will see that I would love to be a right winger in my team mate, I would score bags of goals.

That is a clear indication to me that whoever plays in that position is supposed to be more of a finisher than a creator. And maybe explains why Ange wanted Johnson in his team - a player who has scored goals at every level he has played at.

 

[mil1lion]

If anything we need another player who can score goals on that side. It's a shame Richarlison is more comfortable on the left than the right. Maybe replace him with someone who can play right wing or up top instead. That allows a bit of rotation with Johnson and Solanke.

 

[robotsonic]

I think he's suffering from the idea of perfection that a lot of people have in other players that they'd for whatever reason otherwise that we had. He gets criticised for a lack of defensive contribution when it both doesn't seem to be in his remit and also in a way that the deficiency is glossed over when looking more vaunted wingers that we could supposedly otherwise have. Similarly I'm sure that Jeremy Doku has looked very effective in terms of being able to take players on 1v1 this season...for his 2 assists in more than 10 hours. Rather Brennan never beat a man and score 9 goals instead so far tbh.

He's clearly now extremely well integrated within the squad and the way that we're playing. His ability to take and act upon instruction is pretty clear for all to see, and I can only imagine that any manager would want that in their players above almost all else. He's done a lot of work on making sure that he is the right man in the right place at the right time, and it's not an ability that a lot of players have however simple it might seem as a concept. You first have to be there to kick the ball at all for it to make any difference at all.

It's bearing fruit, and for as long as it does we'd be stupid not to stick with it and see where it goes.

 

[C1w8]

I think he's suffering from the idea of perfection that a lot of people have in other players that they'd for whatever reason otherwise that we had. He gets criticised for a lack of defensive contribution when it both doesn't seem to be in his remit and also in a way that the deficiency is glossed over when looking more vaunted wingers that we could supposedly otherwise have. Similarly I'm sure that Jeremy Doku has looked very effective in terms of being able to take players on 1v1 this season...for his 2 assists in more than 10 hours. Rather Brennan never beat a man and score 9 goals instead so far tbh.

He's clearly now extremely well integrated within the squad and the way that we're playing. His ability to take and act upon instruction is pretty clear for all to see, and I can only imagine that any manager would want that in their players above almost all else. He's done a lot of work on making sure that he is the right man in the right place at the right time, and it's not an ability that a lot of players have however simple it might seem as a concept. You first have to be there to kick the ball at all for it to make any difference at all.

It's bearing fruit, and for as long as it does we'd be stupid not to stick with it and see where it goes.

I enjoy the variety of goals he's getting. Its not all just back post tap ins, yesterdays finish was great off his weaker foot as a first time hit from 12 yards out, vs Coventry hes run in behind and tucked it away past the keeper, he's curled one into the bottom corner away in the europa without recalling who it was against, weaker foot finish again.

He's been technically proficient enough to produce some high quality finishes this season.

 

[montylynch]

I'd rather have him high wide right than any other of the 19 players in the league in that position at the moment (Well maybe apart from Salah ). The dood has turned a corner mentally.

When he scored last night i thought he was doing the old nescafe handshake to the crowd....