Brennan Johnson: The Solution to Everton's Goal Drought
Everton have been crying out for goals. Lee Trundle thinks Brennan Johnson might just be the one to answer them.
The Wales forward has swapped Crystal Palace for the blue half of Merseyside in a four-year deal, with Dwight McNeil heading the other way to Selhurst Park as part of a swap. For Trundle, who has watched Johnson’s rise and knows the demands of Goodison’s crowd, it feels like the right player at the right time.
“With Johnson coming in, I think that's a great signing and he's someone I'm excited about,” he said on the BBC’s Feast of Football podcast, making no attempt to hide his enthusiasm.
Trundle, the former Wrexham, Swansea City, Bristol City and Leeds United striker – and a self-confessed Everton fan – is convinced David Moyes is exactly the manager to unlock Johnson’s potential.
“I think Moyes will get the best out of him, I think Moyes is a good manager for him,” he said. “I think he'll go in, and once he starts scoring, I think the fans will take to him.”
That relationship with the stands matters at Everton more than most. The club’s 31-year wait for silverware hasn’t dulled expectation; if anything, it has sharpened it. Trundle believes Johnson’s game is built for that environment.
“I think he'll love being at a club like Everton because once you get in and score those goals, the fans will idolise you, especially because that's what they've been crying out for.”
A flexible forward with a point to prove
Johnson arrives with a varied CV and a reputation for versatility. He has played wide, as a wing-back and through the middle, adapting his role across spells with Tottenham Hotspur, Lincoln City and Nottingham Forest.
Trundle, though, sees a simpler solution for Moyes.
With Beto and Thierno Barry yet to convince as consistent finishers, he expects Johnson to be used as a central striker, a true number nine asked to live off the chances Everton already create.
“If you look at Everton, they create a lot of chances, they just don't take the chances,” Trundle said. “I think if he's in those positions to get those chances, he takes more of them.”
That is the crux of the bet Everton are making: same volume of opportunities, a sharper edge in the box.
“He will go in behind, he'll score goals himself and create himself as well,” Trundle added, highlighting Johnson’s willingness to stretch defences and his ability to both finish and supply.
A winner walking into a drought
Johnson’s career to this point suggests he can handle pressure and big occasions.
He was part of the Nottingham Forest side that surged out of the Championship under Steve Cooper in 2021-22, a promotion run that restored the club to the Premier League spotlight.
At Spurs, he went a step further on the European stage, winning the Europa League and scoring the winner in the final against Manchester United. Last season, he lifted the Conference League with Crystal Palace, adding another continental medal to his collection.
Those honours now meet a club that has gone three decades without a trophy. That contrast isn’t lost on former Wales striker Nathan Blake, who believes the standards at Everton will hit Johnson hard and fast.
“Everton fans are demanding,” Blake said. “Whether you like it or not, it doesn't matter if you haven't won a trophy for a long time, that's a big club. I think there'll be more demand on him there.”
No time for a settling-in period
Blake’s warning is clear: Johnson doesn’t have the luxury of easing his way in at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
He joined Palace in a then club-record deal in January and adapted quickly enough to help deliver European success. Everton will expect a similar impact, and quickly.
“Having Moyes and [assistant manager Billy] McKinlay could be a good thing, but if he doesn't produce in the first 10 to 15 games, it catches up with you,” Blake said.
That is the reality of Everton’s current landscape. A fanbase on edge, a manager tasked with dragging the club back towards respectability, and a new forward being asked to solve a long-standing problem in front of goal.
Blake still sees the positives in that scenario. The coaching experience around Johnson, he believes, can sharpen his game further.
“The coaching and the experience of Moyes and his backroom staff, they'll coach him to improve.”
So the stage is set. A demanding crowd, a drought that refuses to end, a forward with medals in his suitcase and expectation on his shoulders. If Brennan Johnson turns chances into goals, he won’t just fit in at Everton – he’ll define what comes next.
