Tottenham Hotspur have endured an underwhelming start to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign and the pressure is on Ange Postecoglou to turn things around.
With just one win from their first three games, Spurs’ misery was compounded last weekend as Arsenal won the first North London derby of the season 1-0 to secure three points and bragging rights.
A handful of their big hitters have misfired at the start of the new season, which is a worrying sign for Postecoglou.
And one player who has endured a torrid time in particular is Brennan Johnson, whose form has emerged as a big talking point.
The Welshman flattered to deceive against Arsenal and was subjected to constant abuse on social media after the game.
Johnson then proceeded to delete his Instagram account, signalling that he has taken all the criticism to his heart.
And now, Postecoglou has launched a staunch defence of the 23-year-old as he backed him to bounce back stronger.
Ange Postecoglou defends Brennen Johnson amid Tottenham struggles
The Tottenham manager feels Johnson is a young player who has a lot to give, although he is desperately devoid of confidence at the moment.
He said (quotes via Football London): “You’re talking about a young guy who is probably lacking a bit of confidence at the moment.”
“Things haven’t gone his way, but he comes here every day, he’s working his backside off, he’s asking for feedback, he’s doing everything right, he’s trying so hard to become the player he wants to be, it’s hurting him a lot.
Postecoglou also lashed out at Tottenham fans for hurling abuse at Johnson as he called for his supporters to stop normalising such acts of petulance.
He continued: “It’s not like he’s out on the town and he doesn’t care and he rolls up late. So what’s his crime? His crime is he isn’t performing at the level that people expect of him.
“As a professional footballer you’ve got to expect that you’re going to get criticism about that, that’s part of your growth. He’s still a young player and I think there is so much more of Brennan that we’re going to bring out in him.
“It’s sad for me that we’ve kind of normalised that stuff. That getting abuse, and it is abuse and a lot of it personal, is ‘oh well, that’s part of the territory’. I don’t see that.”
Postecoglou should take Johnson out of the firing line for a bit
Tottenham have other options in attack like Wilson Odobert and Timo Werner, among others.
Postecoglou would be best advised to take Johnson out of the firing line as he is clearly struggling with all the abuse.
That said, Spurs’ EFL Cup clash against Championship side Coventry City could give the Welshman a nice chance to respond to his critics, so it remains to be seen what happens.
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Johnson isn’t enjoying the best spell of his career but notched up 15 goal involvements in the Premier League last season after his £45m move from Nottingham Forest, which is a decent return.
Postecoglou’s man-management skills will be put to the test in the coming weeks as he aims to get the 22-year-old firing once again.
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