“You’re a long way from being a replacement for Son Heungmin”

As Son Heung-min is called up to the South Korean national team to participate in the Asian Cup, Tottenham first pointed to Brennan Johnson as the player to fill his void. The 22-year-old rookie striker made several sharp appearances as he started as a left winger in the third round of the FA Cup against Burnley.

However, he is not very satisfied yet. “Johnson’s ball touch, shot, and location selection were all great, but there were no scenes to pay attention to,” global sports media The Athletic said on the 6th (Korea Standard Time). “One goal and four assists in 15 games at Tottenham are not bad for a player who is worth 47.5 million pounds (about 79.5 billion won), but I think we will still need some time to wait for it to start.”

“When Son Heung-min left the team for the Asian Cup, the pressure immediately came to Johnson, who had just come to Tottenham,” the media said. “This season, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic and Hisharlisson’s injuries, Dejan Klusevsky (who originally plays the side role) were given the role of playing in the center, so it seems that he was given more participation than coach Anji Postecoglou wanted.”

As Johnson is young and a freshman who left Nottingham Forest for Tottenham last summer, Postecoglou was expected to use Johnson as a substitute resource at the time of his recruitment. However, when Tottenham’s main strikers were injured in turns, he was forced to start frequently. As a result, Johnson is physically overloaded and cannot be given the skills he needs. 사설 토토사이트

Johnson has started all 11 games since the game against Chelsea in the 11th round of the 2023/24 English Premier League. This is why many point out that he is too much of a player considering that he is still a young player who needs more physical growth. “Postecoglou recently said that the players are feeling very tired,” “The Athletic” said. “Johnson will not be a player who has escaped this fatigue either.”

Despite this physical burden, Johnson has been playing well overall. “Postecoglou is well positioned in terms of side resources, keeping a deep and wide gap and sending quality crosses to the striker in the center,” said “The Athletic,” presenting Johnson’s ball touch as a visual graph.

In addition, he often tries shots, proving that he is a highly aggressive player. Of the six shots Johnson attempted in this match against Burnley, four were shot on target. In addition, he actively participated in forward pressure and is considered to be suitable for Postecoglou’s offensive tactics.

However, it is still not a key resource that can be trusted and put in, such as filling Son Heung-min’s void, according to media analysis. “Johnson showed a lot of dullness in the game against Burnley,” “The Athletic” criticized, “He did not try a shot that could lead to the goal, the cross was not connected properly, and the dribble breakthrough was not easy.”

According to the soccer statistics platform “Foot Mob,” the combined value of the expected score (xG) of all shots Johnson has attempted is 0.52. In other words, he couldn’t score a single goal by trying six shots. He also had 55 shots of ball touch, but his dribble success rate was limited to 50 percent, and all four attempts of crosses ended in failure.

“This proves that Postecoglou still needs more time to complete Tottenham’s offense,” The Athletic said of Johnson’s performance. “Without Son, there will be a huge gap in Tottenham’s offense, so Johnson’s leap forward is essential.” “The match against Burnley without Son was painful. His overall performance was weak.”

Some argued that Johnson has not yet fully adapted to the team and should provide space for growth. A reader who claimed to be a fan of Johnson’s former team, Nottingham Forest, said, “It matches what he showed at Forest and what he is now,” adding, “He can grow right after the time to identify his teammates, as he showed at Forest Youth Academy.”

Tottenham has no choice but to be anxious because Son Heung-min’s departure has created a small hole in the attack. Johnson’s team’s performance will increase only when he grows, but the time he doesn’t wait is a postecoglou.