Tottenham Hotspur will contest their Europa League quarter-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night and they go into the game on the back of a victory.
Tottenham warmed up for the game with a 3-1 victory over Premier League basement side Southampton on Sunday.
Brennan Johnson scored a brace before Mathys Tel converted a penalty, but there has been some debate over who should have taken the spot kick.
Johnson would have sealed his hat-trick had he converted the penalty, but Tel insisted on taking it.
The Wales international has now spoken about the debacle as he shared how he felt when Tel had the ball in his hands.
READ MORE: Tottenham among clubs eyeing ‘complete’ Serie A defender who’s keen on Premier League move
Brennan Johnson fully supportive of Tottenham teammate Mathys Tel
Johnson stressed that he was fully behind Tel when he went up to take the spot kick, calling him a “quality player” and backing him to score.
Indeed, Johnson says he’s been in situations before when a penalty debate among players ends up being not so good-natured and it can put the eventual taker off.
“All of us attacking players, if there’s a chance to score from 12 yards without it being contested, all of us would want to take it,” Johnson told football.london.
“Once the decision had been made it’s not really my nature to argue or have a fight about who takes a penalty.
“I’ve been in that situation before, where people are really reluctant to let someone else have a penalty and it can put you off.
“So once the ball was with Mathys I just wanted to get on the edge of the box and support him.
“He put it away and he’s a quality player as well so it’s not like I’m doubting his quality. As soon as the ball was put in his hands I backed him to score.”
What Ange Postecoglou said about Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel penalty debacle
Ange Postecoglou, also speaking on Wednesday ahead of the Europa League meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt, was not impressed by the debate surrounding Johnson and Tel.
The Tottenham manager said he was delighted over Spurs scoring a third goal to put them out of reach and suggested that the penalty taker is irrelevant in this case.
“We scored, we won. Delighted,” said Postecoglou. “It’s incredible, it’s just… literally turning gold into c— when it’s Tottenham.
“Seriously. If we’re 2-1 up tomorrow night and get a penalty in the last minute, I want the best penalty taker to take it.
“I mean the one slight against this club is apparently it hasn’t been a winner. Well the winner’s mentality in the last minute of the game is to score a goal.
“We scored a goal. And yet somehow in this ultimate universe where everything Tottenham does is wrong, that’s come out as a negative.
“Be that as it may. From my point of view, I was delighted because as I said if that’s tomorrow night and we get a penalty in the last minute and get a third goal which could be really decisive, I’m really pleased with the way the players handled it.”
