The Early Season Impact Of Brennan Johnson
After the first couple of games, Brennan Johnson’s early season performance has been a topic of discussion. Fans sometimes overlook the fact that players like Johnson need time to find their form. Not everyone can replicate the instant success of an Erling Haaland or a Mo Salah. Johnson has been a standout performer early in the current season, and after a year of settling in, he seems ready to make a significant impact this season.
The flying winger already has six goals in 10 games this season, with three coming in the league, 2 in the Europa League, and 1 in the Carabao Cup. It is not just the goals; he is also a very good presser. He has been setting the tone to press from the forward line alongside Dominic Solanke.
Johnson is also a very willing runner. His runs down the channel open up space for Kulusevski and Maddison to do some damage. Brennan operates mainly as a wide winger, and he is very adept at that role, as seen. It might have taken him a year to understand what Ange wants from him, but now, he and Spurs are reaping the rewards of finally settling into the Spurs system.
Another underrated aspect, which fans usually ignore, is that he is also very willing to track back on counterattacks or maintain defensive shape. Johnson tracks back and helps out Pedro Porro at every given instance. It is a tireless task, but one where he is learning and growing. It is also good to see him do the dirty work because it is not his primary job, but if you want to win trophies, you have to do the dirty stuff as well.
Johnson’s early season form has also taken a lot of heat off Dominic Solanke. It’s the big guy’s first season at Spurs, and he has actually started quite decently by being a very able focal point, but he hasn’t been prolific. Johnson has taken on the mantle of scoring goals, while Solanke can concentrate on holding the ball up and bringing other players into the play.
Brennan Johnson will know exactly how Solanke is feeling currently. Even Johnson needed a year to settle into the team, and even though he was an expensive arrival, Brennan knows that Solanke will need half a year or a year to grasp Ange Posctecoglou’s tactics completely.
Nonetheless, Brennan Johnson’s start to the campaign has been a real positive for Spurs, who are going through a consistency crisis. Johnson’s form is a rare silver lining for the club, and fans hope his scoring streak finds the consistency that the other things can’t.