Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank must find a way to bring out the best of Brennan Johnson this season.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank must find a way to bring out the best of Brennan Johnson this season.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank must find a way to bring out the best of Brennan Johnson this season
Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson etched his name into the club’s history books last season by scoring the decisive goal in the Europa League final, ending the Lilywhites’ 17-year wait for a major trophy. The Welshman provided the perfect finishing touch to what was an exceptional European campaign for Spurs, despite their struggles in the Premier League. Johnson also finished the season as the club’s top scorer in all competitions, finding the net 18 times.
It was fitting to see the 24-year-old deliver on such a historic night for the North London club, and many believed he would carry that momentum into the new season under Thomas Frank. However, things have not gone according to plan for the prolific attacker. Johnson has struggled to replicate his form, largely due to being deployed in an unfamiliar role on the left flank.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank must find a way to bring out the best of Brennan Johnson this season.
Brennan Johnson needs to find form at Tottenham to regain place in the starting eleven under Thomas Frank.
Johnson’s lack of impact in games has become a recurring issue at N17. Apart from being a reliable finisher inside the box, he has failed to add much else to Tottenham’s attacking play. Critics have pointed out his limited ability to create or stretch defences from wide areas, questioning whether he possesses the attributes required to be a consistent starter under Frank.
Brennan Johnson failing to showcase a different dynamic to his game at Tottenham
The bigger question now is: what exactly does Brennan Johnson offer this Spurs side under Thomas Frank? That is the million-dollar question that few seem to have an answer to. It is also one of the reasons why Frank pushed to sign Mohammed Kudus in the summer to strengthen the right flank. Johnson has subsequently fallen down the pecking order, and Frank’s tactical approach has begun to expose the limitations in the Welshman’s overall game.
Renowned journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke recently weighed in on Johnson’s situation at Spurs. Speaking to the BBC, he said,
“Frank wants to play a different way, and he wants his wingers to do a lot more on the ball than just score tap-ins. At the moment, I don’t think any Spurs fan would have Johnson in their first-choice team. It’s not really clear where he fits.”
The journo added,
“He doesn’t really do a lot apart from scoring goals. There are obviously worse things to be than a guy who’s just known for scoring goals, but I think people would probably have expected him to have done more. He’s a bit of a mystery.”
Pitt-Brooke’s comments underline the reality of Johnson’s situation at Tottenham. Frank’s system demands more creative responsibility from his wingers, something Johnson has yet to demonstrate. As Pitt-Brooke noted, it is difficult to see where the 24-year-old fits into this evolving Spurs setup, particularly when Kudus has established himself as the more complete option on the flank.
To be fair, there may not be a better pure finisher at Tottenham than Brennan Johnson right now. The Welshman remains clinical inside the penalty area and rarely misses when presented with a chance. However, finishing alone is not enough in Frank’s system. His limitations in hold-up play and creativity make it hard to justify a regular starting role, either out wide or as the main striker.
The onus is now on Thomas Frank to find a way to maximise Johnson’s strengths and rebuild his confidence as the season progresses. For the Welshman, rediscovering his best form is crucial, not only to regain his place at Spurs, but also to secure a spot in Wales’s World Cup squad next summer. All eyes will be on the prolific forward in the coming weeks as he looks to fight his way back into contention at N17.