- Big money signing struggling to find form
- Opportunities becoming less likely
- Assured manager wouldn’t be leaving
Crystal Palace beat Newcastle United 2-1 on Sunday afternoon, and Brennan Johnson was handed an opportunity to impress whilst Ismaila Sarr was rested after his superb performance against Fiorentina in midweek.
However, Johnson’s tricky start to life at Selhurst Park continued, the winger withdrawn in the 64th minute after a display which was awarded a 2/10 rating by Eagle Eyed Football in their post-game reaction.
Another lacklustre performance
Johnson started on the right-hand side and was unable to influence the game in any significant manner. He failed to make a single successful dribble and lost possession eight times. Perhaps the most worrying part of his game was his inability to maintain the ball. Whenever attacks developed towards the right side of Palace’s forward line, they inevitably fell apart.
Johnson’s 67% pass accuracy resembles this, but his defensive contribution, or lack thereof, is cause for concern. He struggled to support Daniel Munoz when Newcastle attacked, and his pressing was aimless, doing little to prevent his opponents from carrying the ball.
The Welsh international is clearly shot for confidence, and has had a difficult campaign for both Wales and Tottenham aside from his time at Palace. Johnson missed one of the decisive penalties as Wales crashed out of World Cup Qualification at the hands of Bosnia.
This came after Johnson was out of favour at Spurs, and he has struggled too since his move to Selhurst Park.
Struggling to take chances
One of the biggest issues for Johnson is that he’s seemingly failed to take his chances when afforded opportunities. When he was first signed, Sarr was away at AFCON with Senegal, so Johnson was selected to start in numerous consecutive games.
When Sarr returned, he snatched his starting place back and hasn’t looked back since. Johnson’s start against Newcastle was a clear sign that he is, in fact, a second-string option, and again, he failed to take his chance.
His start to life at Selhurst Park must’ve been a difficult one. Just thirteen days after Johnson’s January arrival, Glasner announced his impending departure from the club, and murmurings around Selhurst suggest that the player was assured of the manager’s future prior to his signing.
The best way to describe Johnson’s performances in a Palace shirt would be that he ghosts through games. He doesn’t necessarily make lots of mistakes, but he also doesn’t demand the ball in the same way that Sarr, Pino and Guessand do.
Shying away from the action only adds to the fanbase’s view of you as a negative one, because at times it appears that he is not trying his best, the bare minimum for all players stepping onto the pitch.
There’s certainly a good player in Johnson, but finding what will draw that out and allow him to become a more consistent, more reliable option is going to be a key challenge for both Glasner and whoever arrives in the Summer.
