Brennan Johnson isn’t having any of the noise, as the Tottenham forward has now backed up Ange Postecoglou’s fiery comments after the media turned a golden moment into needless controversy.
Brennan Johnson has had a rather stellar season in front of goal this campaign, as the winger has now surpassed the ten-goal mark in the Premier League.
It’s a feat that only one other Welsh player has managed in the Premier League era — Spurs icon Gareth Bale.
Across all competitions, Johnson is closing in on the twenty-goal mark, with 16 to his name so far. Of course, he could’ve added to that tally on Sunday had he taken the penalty he rightfully won.
Brennan Johnson backs Ange Postecoglou after Tottenham penalty sparks media noise
Plenty of fuss has been made about Johnson passing up the chance to bag a hattrick, after he handed the spot kick to substitute Mathys Tel instead.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou didn’t hold back, slamming the media for their coverage and accusing them of turning gold into crap — a clear dig at how a beautiful moment was twisted into something negative.
Now Johnson has doubled down on his manager’s take. He told football.london: “I agree [with Postecoglou’s thoughts on people making too much from the penalty moment].
“I think we’re going to go into competitions where it could go down to penalties. In this tournament it’s not really about giving people free goals, it’s about scoring goals.
“[My goal tally] is something that I’m definitely proud of. It was a target for me at the start of the season to score more goals than I did last season. There’s a lot of work that goes into it, positionally, the types of finishes that I want to improve at. Sixteen goals is something I’m very happy with.
“It suits me just because the players we have, the profiles, a lot of fast players, so when the ball gets crossed, there tends to be a lot of space for the ball to go all the way across the pitch and it’s just about me gambling on what position to be in. More times than not this season I’ve been in the right position.
“Work does go on on the training ground, there’s a lot of coaches who do a lot of work with me which I’m really appreciative of. There is work that goes into it. But it’s quite instinctive as well, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Asked if he feels underappreciated at Tottenham, Johnson added: “Not really, no. Within the team and the staff we have here, it’s definitely made clear to me to feel appreciated and that’s all that matters to me, to be honest.
“My colleagues, the staff and the manager make me feel appreciated. I think the style of play really suits me. All the people in the club are super supportive of what I’ve achieved this season. Within these walls, I feel really good about it.
Mathys Tel’s first Spurs goal and Postecoglou’s sharp response to critics
For Mathys Tel, that was his first Premier League goal for Tottenham after just a handful of appearances — a massive weight off his shoulders, no doubt.
When asked about the penalty incident, Postecoglou made his feelings crystal clear: “We scored, we won. Delighted. It’s incredible. It’s the one bit. Literally turning gold into crap when it’s Tottenham.
“If we’re 2-1 up and we get a penalty late on, I want our best penalty taker to take it. I just think we’re in that position now where even the good stuff we do is going to be turned into a glass half-empty rhetoric.”