Tottenham boss Thomas Frank calls Brennan Johnson “tactically clever” ahead of Manchester United clash
Tottenham Hotspur blew away FC Copenhagen 4-0 in the Champions League in midweek. It was the kind of performance that was desperately required after the moans and groans of the fans at home following recent poor displays.
Brennan Johnson featured in that game from the onset, starting on the on the right flank in place of the injured Mohammed Kudus. The Wales international gave Spurs the lead in the 19th minute with a calm, angled finish into an empty goal after visiting goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski charged out of his position. He was enjoying a positive night before an untimely challenge on Marcos Lopez led to a red card following a VAR review in the 57th minute.
Luckily, Spurs did not get into the shell after the red card brandished to Brennan Johnson, and instead, scored two more goals to lift the mood in north London. Johnson’s performance on the right flank showed promise, capitalising on Kudus’ injury absence. With his pace and direct running, he stretched the FC Copenhagen defence several times.
Thomas Frank on how important Johnson is for Tottenham
Johnson was Tottenham’s top scorer last season with 18 goals in all competitions and returned to north London as the hero in Bilbao. He started the 2025/26 season well with two goals in as many Premier League games. Surprisingly, the Welshman was benched for three consecutive matches after Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the end of August.
After playing the full 90 minutes against Doncaster Rovers in September, in which he scored, the 24-year-old has started just three games in all competitions and those were against Everton, Newcastle United and Copenhagen. Frank has spoken to the press ahead of the Lilywhites’ clash with Manchester United. Despite Johnson’s lack of game time, the Danish boss has been full of praise for the man who is “tactically clever” and has the “ability” to score goals.
“So, I think he’s got something that is extremely important the ability to score goals. Uh was quite good at that arriving in the box and also on the counters. I think that’s a super strength of his,” Frank said in his press conference.
“There’s a lot of bits I like from him. I think he is good also to produce crosses and playing run on the side in those situations. I think he’s tactically clever player. I think he’s a good player.”
Johnson needs to be more of a threat at Tottenham
Johnson has been criticised several times for being anonymous and going missing in games. The Nottingham-born star’s goal tally speaks for itself in a Spurs shirt, but his decision making in the final third as a wide player must improve to warrant his place in the first-team.
Kudus has currently cemented his spot on the right flank with consistent performances, so Johnson requires to bring more to his game to stake a claim in the first XI. With Kudus touch-and-go for the Man United game, the Welsh winger has an opportunity to build on his midweek display and repay the gaffer’s faith.