"He's going to be a super player for us" - Ange on Brennan's development

Ange Postecoglou has praised Brennan Johnson's continued improvement, as the forward looks to take his fine goalscoring form into our next fixture against former club Nottingham Forest on Sunday (kick-off 6pm).

The 22-year-old bagged his fifth Premier League goal of the season with the opener in our 1-1 draw at West Ham United last time out and his seven goal contributions (four goals, three assists) are the most of any Spurs player in 2024.

Steering home Timo Werner’s low, driven cross from close range to put us ahead just five minutes in at the London Stadium, it was a finish typical of the development the Wales international has made under Ange that has seen him flourish since the turn of the year.

"I don't know if we've made him more lethal," said our Head Coach, speaking in his press conference ahead of Forest on Friday (5 April).

"His goalscoring record was pretty decent before. I just think you look at a player differently and it takes time. In those kind of areas, there is a lot more pressure on new signings because they invariably get measured in terms of outcomes like goals and assists, but his general play was always very good for us.

"I think now he's found a bit of confidence and consistency and understanding of how we play and he's getting the rewards which is great.

"He's still a young guy and we bought him with very much an eye that whatever he does this year there's definitely a lot more in him, and when you see improvement that encourages us even more because it makes you think that if we invest the time in him even more he's going to be a super player for us."

Watch - Brennan and Timo combine against West Ham

Arriving in north London from Forest on transfer deadline day in the summer, the forward admitted he needed time to develop an understanding of the new style and demands of his role as he contributed one goal and four assists in his 14 league appearances for us in 2023. "Coming to this club there was so much to learn as a player and so much development I needed to make," he said after the Hammers game on Tuesday night.

"The manager makes it really clear if you’re not there, he definitely lets you know! In my first couple of months, I wasn’t getting in those positions and, when we do the post-match meetings, he was drawing arrows into the positions I should be getting in.

"As time went on, I made it a conscious effort to try to get into those areas because I know it’ll drop for me and that’s exactly what happened."

With 24 appearances under his belt so far this campaign, our number 22 has certainly taken Ange’s attacking advice on board and is growing in confidence in the final third to add crucial goals in wins over Brentford, Brighton and Aston Villa this calendar year.

Brennan has certainly made his mark off the bench too - putting us 2-1 up in that victory against the Bees and scoring a last-minute winner in the 2-1 win over Brighton – and his six goal involvements as a substitute is more than any other player in the division, adding three assists against Crystal Palace (two home, one away) and a further one against Luton Town.

Capped 28 times by Wales, scoring three times, his 12 goal involvements (five goals, seven assists) this term are the most by a Welsh player in a top-flight campaign since – yes, you guessed it – Spurs legend Gareth Bale contributed 13 times (11 goals, two assists) in his return to the Club in 2020/21.

Watch - Ange previews Forest clash

Brennan’s form has also been boosted by Timo’s arrival on loan from RB Leipzig in January. With the German threatening down the left flank and Brennan the other, the pair are starting to combine to devastating effect.

The Welshman supplied Timo’s first goal for the Club – a trademark whipped cross in our 3-1 home win over Crystal Palace – and the German has twice turned provider for Brennan to bag against Brentford and West Ham. An attacking combination that has pleased the Australian in recent weeks.

"That has been developing well," added Ange. "You try and provide feedback information to the players but it is up to them to take that on board and put it into action.

"It helps when they get rewarded for it. Certainly, Brennan and Timo have scored or assisted over the last four or five weeks, which is great."

Winger to winger as Brennan gets on the scoresheet 🎯 pic.twitter.com/Mi6SiiQeQo

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 2, 2024