The Brennan Johnson problem

A large transfer fee always brings pressure to justify it, and at the moment Brennan Johnson is struggling to do so at Crystal Palace.Palace’s progression in Europe and injuries to other forward players have given Johnson, signed from Tottenham Hotspur on the second day of the winter transfer window for a then club-record fee of £35million (Jorgen Strand Larsen’s £43m move from Wolves eclipsed it weeks later), plenty of opportunities in recent weeks. But the 24-year-old has offered little to suggest a corner is going to be turned.Advertisement