Brennan Johnson must step up for Tottenham in James Maddison absence despite 0% Wales display
Brennan Johnson must step up to the plate for Tottenham in the absence of James Maddison, despite his struggles on international duty with Wales.
With Maddison ruled out until the new year [Preimer Injuries], Spurs’ other attacking outlets will need to step up, with the weight building on Johnson’s shoulders after his summer arrival.
The Welshman bagged his first Premier League goal for the club before the international break but has struggled while away with his country as they limped to the end of their Euro 2024 qualification group.
Johnson started just one of the two international fixtures, playing as a lone striker in the 1-1 draw with Turkey, but he failed to make an impact upfront.
He completed just six passes in 90 minutes, with a 66% accuracy from nine attempts, as well as competing in four duels with a 0% success rate, losing the ball ten times, committing one foul and failing to hit the target with any of his three shots, one of which was blocked. [Sofascore]
The 40 minutes he was afforded in the draw with Armenia were similarly lacklustre, giving the ball away five times, level with the successful passes he made, once again failing to hit the target with his only shot being blocked, and won 50% of his duels.
Without Maddison in midfield, the creative burden will lay more with the attacking trio in Ange Postecoglou’s system, with the midfielders Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur more work-rate-focused than they are creative.
While Johnson also falls into that bracket of being more of a hard worker than a creative influence, ranking in the top 2% for passes blocked, 15% for tackles in the defensive third, and 8% for being dispossessed [FBref], he will need to shoulder some of the creative burden going forward.
It will be important for the landscape of Spurs’ season that their attacking players step up in the absence of the star and find a new way to create and score without him.
In other Tottenham news, one key player is getting back to his best.