Where Brennan Johnson fits in Glasner’s 3-4-2-1 at Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace’s reported move for Brennan Johnson feels like a very Glasner signing: fast, direct, and built for a team that wants to win territory quickly and attack the box with numbers. Multiple outlets have reported Palace agreeing a fee with Tottenham, with the Guardian and The Times both describing a deal in the region of £35m, while talkSPORT has also reported Palace as frontrunners.

The key question is not “is he a winger?” It is “which of Glasner’s front three jobs does he solve best?”

What Glasner’s 3-4-2-1 asks from the two attacking midfielders

Glasner’s 3-4-2-1 is built around a back three, two wing-backs, a double pivot, and two inside forwards behind a central striker.

Those two “10s” are not traditional playmakers who stand still. Coaches’ Voice notes Glasner encourages those narrow attackers to combine with advancing wing-backs and also deliver crosses themselves from narrowed positions. Palace can also drop into a compact block and then go direct on transition, using pace to counter.

In short, the two “10s” need to do three things:

• Connect play with the wing-back and striker
• Make aggressive runs into the inside channels
• Press intelligently so Palace can trap teams wide

Johnson’s output and why it translates

Johnson is primarily a right winger, with the ability to play on the left too. His recent Premier League production shows a clear trend: he has been involved in goals at a rate that would instantly add punch to Palace’s front line.

Brennan Johnson Premier League snapshot (recent seasons)

That 2024-25 line (11 goals) is exactly the sort of “end product from a runner” profile Palace have often lacked when matches get stretched.

Where he plays in Palace’s 3-4-2-1

If Glasner signs Johnson, the cleanest fit is as the right-sided attacking midfielder behind the striker, not glued to the touchline.

Why? Because Johnson is frequently used as a right-sided forward in match role data. Understat lists him as FWR (forward right) in Tottenham vs Arsenal, which supports the idea that he can play as a right-channel attacker who starts high and attacks space.

In practical Palace terms, that role looks like this:

• Right half-space runner: start narrow, then sprint beyond the full-back when the wing-back or pivot releases the ball.
• Far-post threat: when the left side attacks, arrive at the back post like a winger, but from a narrower starting point.
• Wing-back partnership: Glasner wants the wing-back high, with the inside forward either combining or pulling defenders inside to open the lane.
• Transition outlet: Palace’s system leans into compact defending then direct counters, so having Johnson as the first runner into space makes tactical sense.