Player Watch Player Watch: Brennan Johnson

Rocksuperstar · Mar 11, 2024

Styopa said:
And Vic, Romero, Maddison etc. As you say, there’s a real swagger throughout the team now.

For a long time it felt like as a group we were playing in Kane’s shadow. Now we have big characters all over the pitch.

Vicario has been in a couple of those little video things the club puts out on Youtube and whatever and he seems so laid back and confident. Romero has been on a few too and he seems to naturally take charge - if there's a mouse to click, he's first to click it, if a question's on the screen, he reads it out like he's interviewing whoever else is on the skit, the dude just takes the lead so I guess he's really settling into the vice captain thing.

I used to hate Maddison when he was a youngster, I probably made jokes about someone cleaning his clock on here more than once, but he's very much our Jamie Tartt and has similarly matured - I love the cheeky bullshit now, him laughing and enjoying his game is one of the highlights of a weekend for me.

Brennan has really fit in well with the squad too and while he looked a bit timid and a bit nervous early doors, his confidence has come on like a meteor, it's brill.

easley91 · Mar 11, 2024

Rocksuperstar said:
Vicario has been in a couple of those little video things the club puts out on Youtube and whatever and he seems so laid back and confident. Romero has been on a few too and he seems to naturally take charge - if there's a mouse to click, he's first to click it, if a question's on the screen, he reads it out like he's interviewing whoever else is on the skit, the dude just takes the lead so I guess he's really settling into the vice captain thing.

I used to hate Maddison when he was a youngster, I probably made jokes about someone cleaning his clock on here more than once, but he's very much our Jamie Tartt and has similarly matured - I love the cheeky bullshit now, him laughing and enjoying his game is one of the highlights of a weekend for me.

Brennan has really fit in well with the squad too and while he looked a bit timid and a bit nervous early doors, his confidence has come on like a meteor, it's brill.

It just goes to show that personality is just as important as the football ability. We have a really good group of players, who all seem to say they're like a family even the players who don't play as much.

synththfc · Mar 11, 2024

easley91 said:
I love having players with personality and I do like (to hate) opposition players with personality. Makes it more enjoyable and far less boring.

Second point is great. “Villains” make the sport what it is. We all think Ramsdale is a ****, I’m sure Liverpool fans think the same of Pickford, but their antics get the fans involved in the match. It’s part of the experience.

I’d like to clarify there is a difference between a “villain” and a grade A prick. Maupay is a (shite) villain. Matty Cash is a grade A prick trying to injure anyone who gets the better of him. No time for him or place for him in today’s day and age. Happy to see him get torn apart by Johnson today.

Kirito · Mar 11, 2024

Doku - everyone creaming themselves over this guy playing in the best team in the world

2 goals, 5 assists

Brennan - “We paid too much, average player” playing in a transitional season for us

4 goals, 6 assists

Same minutes on the pitch

HildoSpur · Mar 11, 2024

This kid has it - you can just see it. He isn't a flashy player and perhaps that is why some people don't yet really see the value in what he is bringing to the side but for me it is clear to see. He is improving all the time and growing in confidence. I think he is going to be a top player.

mabolsa_ritchey · Mar 11, 2024

He’s been much better recently. Definitely showing how much I know after my suggestion to sell him in the summer

GetSpurredOn · Mar 11, 2024

Mate of mine is a Forest fan. I asked his opinion when we first looked at signing him. He said he has huge potential but he felt it was a season too soon, he still needed more time to develop before coming up to out level. However he did say being around better players regularly may speed up his development. Looks like he may have been right (well he is an academy coach also, so he should know what he’s talking about).
In interviews he seemed so have settled at the club really quickly, and I’m sure I saw something about him really taking time to help younger players. However, he did look a little timid in those early few months of the season, almost like he wasn’t quite sure he belonged, but each goal seems to be bringing him a bit more confidence and a bit more swagger. He does get into good positions, and his execution is improving with each game.

Now it's Spursonal · Mar 11, 2024

He looks a completely different animal playing off of the left, he had Reece James on toast for 30 mins playing there before having to come off as well.

BorjeSpurs · Mar 11, 2024

Now it's Spursonal said:
He looks a completely different animal playing off of the left, he had Reece James on toast for 30 mins playing there before having to come off as well.

It kinda gives him two options when facing a defender. On the right, it's mainly go for pace on the outside and use his stronger feet/side which makes him a little predictable.

On the left, he can either use the pace by going outside or using his stronger foot by going inside.

TheHodFather · Mar 11, 2024

GetSpurredOn said:
Mate of mine is a Forest fan. I asked his opinion when we first looked at signing him. He said he has huge potential but he felt it was a season too soon, he still needed more time to develop before coming up to out level. However he did say being around better players regularly may speed up his development. Looks like he may have been right (well he is an academy coach also, so he should know what he’s talking about).
In interviews he seemed so have settled at the club really quickly, and I’m sure I saw something about him really taking time to help younger players. However, he did look a little timid in those early few months of the season, almost like he wasn’t quite sure he belonged, but each goal seems to be bringing him a bit more confidence and a bit more swagger. He does get into good positions, and his execution is improving with each game.

Completely agree and that's why I loved that little bit of cockiness on his face after he scored.

kmk · Mar 11, 2024

Nerine · Mar 11, 2024

I gave him a bit of light criticism in the match thread but at the same time his output since he joined us is difficult to find fault with. Always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
I think he’ll definitely improve, too.

When I watch him in games I seem to will him to actually do something or take a man on and be less timid but more often than not, he shows up with the goods a couple of times per game sometimes without having much of an impact otherwise. It’s weird. Like, both things can be true in this instance, and if I take the example to extreme, (not saying this is Johnson as such) it’s like what’s better? Not very involved but pop up with an assist or goal or being really involved, creating stuff, making stuff happen, but ultimately not scoring or assisting?

I’m not sure which is more valuable to the team. That’s sometimes how he makes me feel.

Like the lad, though. He’s only young and beginning to show some quality. And as mentioned… his output is genuinely good from a numbers perspective. Feel like his confidence is just starting to increase a bit, too.

Bluto Blutarsky · Mar 12, 2024

Nerine said:
Always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

He has talked about this earlier in the season -that was the coaching he was getting - specifically about getting to the far post when those low crosses come in.

Its great to see him receptive to coaching, and really seeing the benefits of following it.

jordibwoy · Mar 12, 2024

Now it's Spursonal said:
He looks a completely different animal playing off of the left, he had Reece James on toast for 30 mins playing there before having to come off as well.

I'll never forget those 30 minutes vs Reece James and that perfect assist ruined by VAR. Felt bad for him he had to get subbed as he was (along with the entire team) electric in those first 30 minutes vs Chels

tevezito · Mar 12, 2024

Now it's Spursonal said:

Deki has rightly got a lot of praise for his pressing leading to this goal, but Brennan actually creates the opportunity for that to happen with his own harrying of the passer in the first place.

A great example of his new found workrate, which I think the lack of is probably the reason why he was getting criticised so much earlier in this thread. It wasn't that he wasn't effective in an attacking sense, but critics (not me) felt he could easily be contributing more with a little bit more effort, particularly when it came to tracking back. Well, in the least couple of games he's definitely improved in this area, and now he's getting a lot more praise.

Nick-TopSpursMan · Mar 12, 2024

This pleases me so much. Johnson’s take on data from the Villa match:

8 attempted take-ons
4 successful take-ons
50% success rate

That is a massive increase on dribbling volume and his success rate is decent (generally looking for 50-60% ideally).

Think he looked more comfortable on the left? Maybe the fact he had more angles to play at? Just looked more at ease.

Would love to see him just believe in himself more and more and start really raiding at fullbacks. His pace is electric. If he can develop a good ability to feint inside and then drive outside to the byline for a cutback from the left he will be transformed as a player imo.

KILLA_SIN · Mar 12, 2024

Think he's a bit under appreciated, Volume speaks for itself

Styopa · Mar 12, 2024

It feels like the mood about him has changed a bit Son returned and we signed Werner. Having that option to mix things up by rotating him, using him as an impact sub and switching wings gives a different perspective to what he brings.

Ron Burgundy · Mar 12, 2024

Styopa said:
It feels like the mood about him has changed a bit Son returned and we signed Werner. Having that option to mix things up by rotating him, using him as an impact sub and switching wings gives a different perspective to what he brings.

100%

Ideqlly he’d have been acclimatised more gradually.

Green shoots, which is great. Happy for him. Still much to improve, but starting to see that his ceiling could be encouragingly high

Bluto Blutarsky · Mar 12, 2024

Just a reminder:

Son's first season, age 23, he had 13 starts, 4 goals and 1 assist.

This season, Johnson's age 22 season, he has 14 starts, 4 goals and 6 assists.

I know we tend to look at players thinking they are at their peak, but there is still quite a bit of development available for Johnson if he continues to work at it - and all indications are he will.

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