Thread by @InvertTheWing

Why Brennan Johnson is the perfect fit for Tottenham, and how his signing will elevate Tottenham in their quest for title contention.

THREAD

I am not going to sit and bore you giving an in-depth analysis of what type of play Brennan Johnson is, considering he's not some "hidden gem" that no one has seen play. Everyone should know at this point.

However, what I will address is how he elevates Tottenham, and from a tactical standpoint elevates Tottenham and fits under Postecoglou.

Let me start by addressing the key factor. His positional versatility. For Nottingham Forest, he has played roughly ~33% of his games as a lone 9, ~33% of his games as a 10 or the 2nd striker, and ~33% of his games on the right.

This is exactly what Postecoglou likes in his wingers, positional versatility.

From a surface level, it means he has a player who can start as a 9, or RWer, but it goes much deeper than that.

One thing Postecoglou likes is fluidity within games. He likes his forwards to drop deep, he likes his attacking midfielders and 8s to make runs into the box, he likes his wingers to play more centrally at times if it means someone is holding width.

Brennan Johnson fits this dynamic perfectly.

Imagine this, a front 3 of Son, Richarlison, and Johnson. Everyone within this Front 3 is able to play as the 9, meaning Richarlison is able to shift to the wings, whilst Johnson or Son plays centrally. Or perhaps Maddison the formation can transition into a 2 striker formation, with Maddison being able to hold the width either side.

This, in-game, is an absolute tactical nightmare to deal with. A manager's game plan could involve tight-marking, but inter-changing positions throughout proves almost impossible to deal with, and I am speaking from experience.

As for profile, how does Johnson fit?

Postecoglou likes his wingers to hold width. This is something both Son and Kulusevski struggle to do. However, this is simply not the case with Johnson.

Rather than looking to cut in every opportunity, Johnson likes to overlap a lot, which could prove deadly if Maddison drifts into half spaces, essentially dragging defenses to the right hand side of the pitch, leaving spaces for the likes of Son to exploit with a simple switch of play.

Maddison is an elite creator, the best in the league almost. He strives off of crosses and through balls.

And when you have such an elite player, you need someone who is able to get on the edge of such balls. Brennan Johnson is exactly that player. His movement is some of the best in the league, and I think he will form a brilliant partnership with James Maddison.

With Son playing on the left, and Johnson playing on the right, Maddison becomes just really even more threatening. We've seen this season the synergy Maddison and have Son have had, and adding a similar player in Johnson to that right hand side will provide another source of danger for oppositions.

Think of it to have De Bruyne-Sane-Sterling. I'm not kidding. The dynamic is absolutely largely similar. Perhaps Sane and Sterling were better at beating their man, but Son and Johnson's off the ball runs are more deadly, whilst also being more clinical finishers.

This isn't even talking about how Johnson can slot into that 9 role just as well, or even better. I feel from a productivity standpoint, Johnson will excel there. Particularly on counters, and being the focal point of attacks. He would play a very similar role to what Furuhashi did at Celtic, occasionally dropping deep and spraying short passes, whilst his primary role is to simply get at the end of through balls and alike with his insane movement.

However, when you consider team dynamics, Johnson playing on the Right provides more avenues for attacks to stem from, as it gives the primary creator James Maddison more room to work with, being able to have a runner to target his passing arsenal from either flank, rather than having to direct play down a certain channel.

I think Johnson will almost certainly become a starter. Kulusevski is not made for a Postecoglou system as the Right Winger, and Richarlison is not good as the 9. So whether he starts up front or on the right will be interesting,

I can see either, but my initial guess will be he'll displace Kulusevski, just because of how important holding width in a Postecoglou system is. That being said, I can also see Kulusevski playing as an 8 down the line.

I think one thing that is obvious, however, is that Postecoglou is making James Maddison the player he builds this team around. He's a special, special player.