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| Headline image for Part 3 of our Thomas Frank Series — analysing whether Brennan Johnson might struggle under Frank’s system at Spurs. |
Morning folks.
The birds have been fed, the pigeons try to eat it all, the Jackdaws take over and have their powerful blows, the pigeons pick up the pieces.
The starlings and the sparrows seem to have one big argument every morning as a flock of them descend. They are like a group of school children.
The magpie will come later.
Wrens, robin (think it’s singular) and tits take their chance and all the while our seagull drops by to see if there is any more for him.
He has even walked in the house!
Anyway, enough of the joys of living at the seaside, onto today’s topic, Brennan Johnson under Ange Postecoglou vs. what he might face under Thomas Frank.
There have been two articles in The Thomas Frank Series on Frank and Dominic Solanke, links for which you can find at the end of this article.
⚡ Brennan Johnson under Ange Postecoglou
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Role: Direct runner, wide outlet, space exploiter.
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Ange’s structure was built to drag defences apart, creating channels behind full-backs for Johnson to attack.
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He often ghosted in at the far post for tap-ins — classic inverted winger getting on the end of cut-backs or low crosses drilled across the six-yard box.
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Spurs under Ange averaged over 17 shots per game, with high-quality chances for wide forwards because the full-backs inverted, midfield compressed, and wingers got 1v1 isolations.
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Johnson’s finishing was erratic, but the volume of easy chances covered for that.
🐝 Brennan Johnson under Thomas Frank (Brentford style)
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Frank’s Brentford use structured pressing, direct counters, and overlapping wing-backs, not constant high-possession wave attacks.
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The wide forwards in Frank’s 3‑5‑2 or 4‑3‑3 work hard off the ball, press back lines, and exploit transition moments — but don’t get endless tap-ins.
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Mbeumo and Wissa scored plenty, but through high-efficiency, fewer-shot chances — they create their own finishing angles, take shots early, and are clinical when they arrive in the box.
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Brentford’s chance creation relies more on set-pieces and second balls than the constant cut-backs Ange’s wingers, particularly Brennan Johnson, feasted on.
🔍 What This Means for Johnson
What changes:
✅ Needs to develop more decisive end product — fewer tap-ins, more self-made goals.
✅ Must improve off-ball movement to link up in tighter spaces and in counters.
✅ Will be asked to contribute more defensively and physically — winning duels, second balls, and being more robust.
✅ Might get fewer clear-cut xG chances; he’ll need to lift his composure and shot variety.
Risks:
If Johnson remains overly reliant on tap-ins, he could look anonymous for stretches.
Frank’s system won’t carry him to easy back-post goals at the same clip Postecoglou’s did.
Fans may see the same frustrating trait: fast but end product patchy.
📊 Expected Goal Tally for Johnson (2025–26)
| Factor | Impact |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | Likely 2,200–2,500 PL mins |
| xG/90 under Ange: 0.35 | May drop to 0.25 under Frank |
| Conversion rate 22% | Needs to improve for consistency |
| Realistic total | 5–7 PL goals |
Projection:
If he adapts quickly — 7–8 goals, maybe more if he sharpens finishing. If not, a frustrating 4–6 goals with fans complaining he goes missing.
🧭 Bottom Line
I think Brennan Johnson could be a serious weakness under Thomas Frank. I do not see him scoring anywhere near the number of goals he did last term.
Brennan Johnson must:
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Grow from a back-post tap-in merchant to a more rounded threat.
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Be comfortable creating or finishing in chaos, not just structured wing overloads.
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Handle higher defensive work rates and more physical battles.
Tomorrow, folks, we move on to assessing club captain Son Heung-min on the assumption he stays.
