Brennan Johnson was Tottenham Hotspur’s final signing of the 2023 summer transfer window and the most expensive of the Ange Postecoglou era to date.
Tottenham have started the season, and the Postecoglou era, in spectacular fashion, continuing their unbeaten run at Turf Moor as they blew Vincent Kompany’s Burnley away with a 5-2 win.
Three goals from Son Heung-min may not sound like the results of a side still finding their footing following the departure of Harry Kane, but Postecoglou is still looking for something different that he clearly hopes Johnson can provide.
“He is another exciting young player, he is a real threat and different to what we have got,” the Australian explained after the game.
“It is no secret that is the model for me, the person, the footballer and looking at him, he is going to fit in with this group, ambitious and technical and contributes all over.”
Johnson, for his part, can play anywhere in the attacking line, but it is not just about that. It is what he represents for Spurs as a Postecoglou signing.
“Once a player comes into the club, he’s mine. Club signings? I don’t know what that means. I would never approve a signing I thought wasn’t going to fit into the way we’re going to play,” the boss continued.
“When you appoint a manager and you give him the responsibility of charting the way forward, you’ve got to give him players that will suit the way he wants to play. I think the evidence so far with the players we’ve brought in, is that they have all made an impact.
“The brief is there that they will fit into the system I want to play.”
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Johnson is an attacker – that is his primary job – but part of that role under Postecoglou is front-foot defending and the Spurs boss has emphasised that since arriving at the club
He explained: “It’s all encompassing. Our defensive work starts at the front and making sure that our front three, whoever they may be, are our first line of defence.
“It’s very easy, especially for an attacking player, to have the incentive of working hard in order to score goals, but to give them the incentive that if they work hard defensively it will also bring you goals has been a big challenge but the players have bought into it.”
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