Tottenham player loved by Ange Postecoglou is now a problem after ‘alarming’ drop-off
Tottenham fans are losing patience with Brennan Johnson after another below-par performance against Newcastle on 2 December.
Whilst Johnson has shown flashes of brilliance with Wales on international duty of late, the same can’t be said for his club form.
Despite injury woes reducing competition on Spurs’ flanks, the 24-year-old has failed to stake his claim for a starting spot under Thomas Frank, even when given countless opportunities to prove himself.
Coincidentally, Football Insider highlighted Johnson’s alarming problems at Tottenham in their EFL Cup defeat to Newcastle back in October.
Flash forward just over a month later against the same opponent and the Welshman is enduring the same pains, which could spell the end of his Lilywhites career in the near future.
Postecoglou’s belief in Johnson wasted as performances continue to decline
Back in May, the ex-Nottingham Forest man was the winner in sealing Spurs’ Europa League glory against Man United.
That ecstatic feeling of bringing the Lilywhites a much needed trophy put Johnson firmly in the hearts of the fans – but the jubilation does not last forever.
Signed back in September 2023 and hailed as “a real threat in the front third” and “young and ambitious” by then manager Ange Postecoglou (The Standard, 3 September 2023), the winger is a shadow of that highly-touted version.
The number 22 has failed to score in the Premier League since 23 August, a stark contrast to his best English top-flight scoring campaign in 2024-25 with 18 goals in all competitions.
That belief and hope from the Australian that Johnson could become a game-changer is fading away with each abysmal performance for the Lilywhites.
Newcastle performance exacerbates Johnson’s woes as Tottenham regret huge investment
Bought by the north London outfit for £47.5million from Nottingham Forest (Sky Sports), the club must be lamenting their poor transfer decision on a player once on track for greatness.
In the 2-2 draw between Tottenham and Newcastle, the Wales international was yet again miles off the pace.
The number 22 one just one of his five ground duels and lost possession 13 times in 77 minutes.
His pass map, courtesy of Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, highlighted how careless Johnson was with the ball as he completed just 12 of his 21 passes with a 57 per cent pass completion rate.
The 24-year-old was hooked off in the 77th minute for Mathys Tel who immediately had a far greater impact on the game.
Worryingly, the display against the Magpies is nothing new from the former Garibaldi as Spurs fans continue to grow tired of his deplorable efforts.
With his contract running until June 2028, time is on Johnson’s side, but perhaps the north London outfit should quickly consider selling him in the coming transfer windows to recoup some of the hefty funds invested in a prodigy who has largely flopped.