Jamie O’Hara, a former Tottenham player, has criticized Brennan Johnson for his performance in the Premier League match against Arsenal. O’Hara accused Johnson of “hiding” from the ball, saying:
“Brennan Johnson, miles off it, honestly miles off it. Hides, hides behind players. I watched him, I was there yesterday. Hiding. We signed him for £50m.”
Johnson’s stats from the game support O’Hara’s claims, with the player losing possession three times, recording only one successful dribble, and having just one shot on target. He was also substituted out in the 68th minute, further highlighting his lack of influence on the game.
As O’Hara noted, “He rarely made any threatening runs in behind the Arsenal backline, and when he did find himself in a promising area, he often blazed the ball high over the crossbar or sent a feeble effort into David Raya’s gloves.”
O’Hara’s criticism may be harsh, but it’s clear that Johnson needs to step up his game, especially considering his £50m price tag. With only five goals in 38 appearances for Tottenham, Johnson needs to find a way to make a stronger impact on the pitch.
Postecoglou also needs to take responsibility for Johnson’s poor form and find a way to utilize him more effectively. As O’Hara said, “For such an expensive signing, Postecoglou needs to have a clear vision of how to utilise Johnson more effectively as well, but as things stand, it looks like the youngster has absolutely no idea what to do out on the pitch.”
Overall, O’Hara’s criticism of Johnson may be blunt, but it’s a wake-up call for the player and the team to step up their game.