Player Watch Player Watch: Brennan Johnson

[Albertbarich]

Not a huge fan personally.

That’s not to say he isn’t doing exactly what Ange wants but when I watch he doesn’t offer anywhere near enough in general play.

He would excel in a counter attacking team, he is almost perfect for it but in a team that wants the ball and wants to attack I’d prefer someone that can pick a pass and beat a man pmayig in such an attacking role aswell as be in those positions that Brennan is so good at picking up.

when I watch him I can’t help but feel he may eventually be Sons long term successor on the left. Coming in and scoring goals with his right foot and making those runs that get him his goals.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

The guy is killing it and really added goals to his game this season. Fans are pretty funny. Johnson looks like the guy designed to play the style Ange wants. And the penny is clearing dropping for Johnson.

Bizarre to see so much questioning of our top scorer.

I don’t think it is bizarre. Look at his stats in terms of influencing beyond his goals. They’re very poor.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted he’s scoring - he’s having a good season. But do you think he’s anywhere near a starting XI for any other top 6 side? I’d seriously question that personally.

 

[$hoguN]

I don’t think it is bizarre. Look at his stats in terms of influencing beyond his goals. They’re very poor.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted he’s scoring - he’s having a good season. But do you think he’s anywhere near a starting XI for any other top 6 side? I’d seriously question that personally.

he doesn’t make a lot of saves either. Probably because that’s also not his job…

 

[dontcallme]

He’s not a playmaker so not sure why he’s criticised for that.

He is great on the counter and he gets in position to get goals and assists, which he is doing.

Whether he can chip in with the number of goals and assists to rival the top players is the question.

I don’t see why we criticise players for what they’re not.

 

[ajspurs]

I can find him a bit frustrating at times. I think he lightly jogs back to help defensively, guilty multiple times of ball watching when he does eventually get back, and before anything else I think he too easily receives the ball and opts to do no more than a telegraphed pass forward or a backwards/sideways pass. That being said, at the same time I think he's also proving to be worth what we paid for him, when you look at his return.

It's strange because he plays into certain elements of our football, but doesn't fit into others. We want to keep the ball much more than the opposition, and when we do so I think someone like Johnson can be quite ineffective. We also want to get lots of crosses in from wide and have someone on the end of them, and that's where he can be very good. I think ideally we'd probably want someone who can be a better blend of both needs, to a degree more than what Johnson currently is.

All in all, at the very least a great squad player IMO. I'd like to see someone who can contribute to general play a little more on that side, admittedly, and someone who can worry other teams and defenders when he has the ball at his feet, but I'm very happy to have him with us.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

he doesn’t make a lot of saves either. Probably because that’s also not his job…

But his job is creating chances for other people, creating threat and doing his share of defensive duties

Funnily enough, I’m not picking him up on his lack of saves

 

[spursville]

If he was improving significantly as a player then we would be talking about that in the same way that we are talking about Kulusevski and his improvement and ability to hit a higher level more consistently. No one's really talking about Johnson in that way. He's young and I'm sure he'll improve. I'm just not sure his ceiling is that high.

 

[adamsky]

He is very useful when we are playing well, either on top or counterattacking well. However, I think he is poor when we go through those periods when we just can’t keep the ball or make a good decision. It is not just on him, but do think Ange should recognise it and put Deki out there and put another midfielder in the middle.

 

[Spurs4CL]

He's a good option to have. We defo need a 1v1 winger (I'd go for Dibling at Southampton) to rotate with him for certain games.

 

[Cornpattbuck]

Fucking hell. You lot have started early this weekend.

 

[HildoSpur]

He is doing everything Ange is asking of him and he is regularly putting the ball in the back of the net. The only thing I'd like to see him improve on right now is him being a bit more proactive in terms of his passing and also to improve his defensive work. Other than that he is doing great.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

This may come as a bit of a shock, but if Johnson was as good as Salah is right now, we could not have afforded him…

But it’s worth pointing out that when Salah was Johnson’s age, he had 2 PL goals. Johnson has 18.

 

[Dannyspur]

He is doing great getting on the end of crosses and I’m happy having him in the team. I do have a slight criticism and that is him wimping out of challenges (I know that’s not his job) but as someone said above, he needs to be involved when we are under pressure. He rarely looks like he is going to win a challenge, either with the ball or when tackling an opponent.

 

[McFlash]

Fucking hell. You lot have started early this weekend.

Started? We haven't stopped you lightweight!

 

[Cambridge Spur]

Sorry but I just don’t rate him. I would sell him in a heartbeat. Opinion

Am I allowed to say that?

 

[dontcallme]

Sorry but I just don’t rate him. I would sell him in a heartbeat. Opinion

Am I allowed to say that?

You’re allowed to say whatever you want but why anyone wants to sell our top scorer in all competitions is beyond me.

 

[Cochise]

He's a natural in front of goal and might be our best currently, even ahead of Son who has lost some of that magic. In another system that uses a front two or even a narrow front three where he's getting more chances inside the box he'd be lethal.

We're always going to be covering old ground in this thread whilst we play him as an out and out winger. Against fullbacks that can match him athletically and systems where he cannot get in behind we ideally need a more technical option. Deki provided that last weekend but we ideally want him in the middle.

Personally, I'd like to see Brennan coached into being our Solanke rotation. Whilst I'm not certain he's got the strength to play up there, he is a great poacher and were we to create chances, I'd back him to finish a high percentage of them.

 

[allatsea]

Not a big fan but he scores goals so we need him.

 

[Stamford]

He's currently the solution but also a problem. He scores but his all round play is so bad it hinders what we do. Is honestly really weird.

 

[YB123]

He's currently the solution but also a problem. He scores but his all round play is so bad it hinders what we do. Is honestly really weird.

If you want an all round winger with his goals then its a £100m player.

Almost got to choose what you want sometimes. Style or substance.