The importance of being entertaining: The trivial criticisms of Brennan Johnson

Brennan Johnson may be suffering from success.

The affable Wales international regularly plays and contributes across all competitions for Spurs, and yet, despite hitting 15 goals + assists last year and scoring in seven consecutive matches this season, many would have you believe that he’s completely out of his depth. 

He’s 23 years old, mind.

Often seen with a buoyant grin, Johnson has- through no fault of his own- polarized the Tottenham faithful. Since joining in a £47.5 million deadline day move in 2023, the winger seems to more frequently be the object of scapegoating than celebration. A slow start to the 2024-25 campaign saw him receiving so much abuse as to lead him to deactivate his Instagram account.

His response? Joining the likes of Steve Archibald, Garth Crooks, and Harry Kane in being among the few to score in 6 consecutive matches for Spurs. He’s cooled off some since last month’s international break, leading some supporters to argue once again that the team would be better off without him. In fairness, he’s not fun to watch when he’s off his game- it feels like every cross gets deflected and his reluctance to dribble at defenders makes him seem out of place on the wing.

On the other hand, he has an undeniable knack for being in the right place at the right time; his final ball into the box is frequently inch-perfect; where there is space to get open, he will find it. His greatest sin, then, must be that he’s not flashy enough.

If Brennan Johnson did step-overs and rainbow flicks, the Tottenham fan base would be absolutely head over heels. His 15 goal involvements in a new side last term happen to exactly match the best years of a wildly entertaining player Spurs supporters (myself included) repeatedly cried out to sign: Wilfried Zaha!

The Palace favorite was viewed as one of the most dynamic and impactful wingers in the league, but he never scored more than 14 goals or provided more than eight assists in the top flight of English football. Johnson, who had 10 assists last year, has 0.36 goals per match this season so far, putting him on pace for… 14 goals.

His detractors are right in saying that he isn’t exactly putting together the highlight reel of the century, but the ire that Johnson draws is patently unfair. Yes, on a bad day, he loses the ball too much and is frustratingly uncreative, but you can say that verbatim about this Spurs team under Ange. That’s not to say that the Australian isn’t the man for the job, but rather, should serve to remind that this is a process, one during which we’ve seen play range from the beautifully free-flowing to the woefully uninspired- from everyone.

One could make a very compelling argument that the backline is the reason for such patchy form, but that’s neither here nor there. Johnson gets hate because, for many, he is unbearably to-the-point. He will not do an elastico to beat the full back, he will simply take a step back and deliver a cross. He will not shoot from 40 yards out, he will just ghost past his marker to tap-in at the back post.

With his strong link-up play and deadly right foot, Johnson plays like an anomaly, a hard-working wide target man/poacher who happens to be able to put the ball in the box like prime Kieran Trippier.

At his best, he is ideal for finishing moves in Ange’s system, whether as the one delivering the final ball or being on the receiving end of it. At his worst, he is still combative, full of energy,  and, importantly, no more inconsistent than any other player the club has got.

Life under Angeball has seen the emergence of new heroes for Tottenham, some loudly and deservedly appreciated, some a bit more unsung. Between shushing celebrations and the return of his Instagram, Brennan Johnson surely doesn’t care about being in the latter category. Considering this club hasn’t lifted silverware in 16 years, Spurs fans should be just as untroubled that his playing style isn’t sexy- as long as it keeps resulting in matchwinners.