“I can see the potential in him, all he needs is time”: Ange Postecoglou on one Tottenham star after recent performances [Full story link in comment]
Ange Postecoglou has refused to put a ceiling on what Brennan Johnson could achieve, praising the winger for the way he has coped with the pressure and criticism this season.
While the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie hit the ground running after arriving at the club last summer, the same was not true of Johnson, who took his time to adjust to his new surroundings.
With the Wales international being the most expensive of those signings, he attracted plenty of criticism during his first few months in North London, with some pundits even insisting that he is not good enough to be a starter for a side with Champions League aspirations (talkSPORT via HITC).
However, Johnson has well and truly silenced those critics over the last couple of months, having registered 12 goal contributions so far this season, which is excellent considering he has not been a regular starter.
Ange Postecoglou is pleased with Brennan Johnson
Postecoglou believes the 22-year-old has settled in well at Spurs and praised him for the way he has dealt with the pressure this season.
The Tottenham head coach told Football.London about Johnson: “I don’t see a ceiling to anyone’s potential, that’s why I bring them to the club.
“If we had had this conversation six weeks ago, I think people were asking me, ‘Why can’t Brennan start games’. All these things are a snapshot in time, and I understand that, but I always take a broader view on these things.
“I think he’s handled it really well. Signing a young attacking player to a big club, we had a minimum of 30 goals walk out the building at the start of the year. People are going to be looking at how we’re going to replace that. It can weigh heavily on a young guy’s shoulders.
“Not that we can expect Brennan to replace Harry, but we needed goals and assists. I like the way he’s handled it. We’ve tried to tread carefully with him because I can see the potential in him. I can see how much he can improve and the attributes he has I’ve got no doubt will fit really well with this team.”
When asked if the winger can go on to achieve what former Welsh great Gareth Bale did at Spurs, Postecoglou said: “I’m not going to put a ceiling on it because that would be unfair on him.
“We like the way he’s progressing but we certainly believe there is more to come, for sure, and Gareth Bale is a legend, mate, what a player.”
Spurs Web Opinion
The most exciting thing about Johnson is that he is extremely well-rounded as an attacker, having no obvious weaknesses both in and out of possession.
He has pace to burn, is good at one vs ones, is great at picking out the right pass, has an eye for goal, is deceptively strong, has a fantastic engine and is an excellent presser. I would not be surprised if he eventually evolves into more of a centre-forward.
