Brennan Johnson has been defended by his Tottenham manager Thomas Frank after the Wales striker was sent off in the Champions League.
Frank described Johnson’s red card as “harsh” after his 10-man side cruised to a 4-0 win over Copenhagen on Tuesday night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Johnson – who will be a key figure for his national manager Craig Bellamy during the final run-in of World Cup qualifiers this month - will now miss Spurs' next Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.
The forward became the first British player ever to score and be sent off in the same Champions League match, striking early to put Spurs ahead before being dismissed early in the second half.
“You can always say it is unnecessary but in the moment, when he goes down there, he has no intention to do anything that will get him a red card,” said Frank.
“I think it is quite harsh and I think VAR see it from still footage and that makes it much more brutal. I don't think he did anything reckless.
“I think I understand why it can be given. But I think it's a little bit . . . what I've talked before, that still footage, studs on leg, is what the ref sees, first thing.
“That's where it looks bad. But there was no recklessness in this tackle from Brennan.
“He goes down into a sliding tackle, you can say 'why give the opportunity?'
“But when he goes down, there's literally no leg in front of him, so when he slides, then the player steps down, and then it looks bad after that.
“I think it was a little bit unfortunate, and I think it was harsh.”
Frank’s side had come under scrutiny after a limp home defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, when boos rang around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and defender Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence appeared to ignore their manager’s post-match instruction to applaud the supporters.
Both players apologised on Monday — and by Tuesday night Van de Ven had more than made amends with a stunning solo goal that sealed Tottenham’s biggest victory under Frank so far.
The evening began brightly for Spurs as Johnson opened the scoring after 19 minutes, running on to a Xavi Simons pass, rounding the goalkeeper and rolling a precise finish into the empty net.
Wilson Odobert doubled the advantage six minutes after half-time, turning in a pass from Randal Kolo Muani, before the game’s major talking point arrived.
Moments later, Johnson was shown a straight red card after a VAR review for a sliding challenge on Marcos Lopez. The decision left Frank visibly frustrated.
Despite being reduced to ten men, Tottenham responded with energy and control.
On 64 minutes, Van de Ven produced a goal worthy of any highlight reel, carrying the ball from the edge of his own penalty area, evading two challenges and drilling a left-footed strike past the keeper.
The vice-captain’s goal effectively ended the contest and provided Frank with what he called “a performance full of pride and purpose” after a difficult few days.
Substitute João Palhinha added a fourth with 23 minutes remaining, finishing off a rapid counter-attack involving Cristian Romero and Odobert.
There was still time for academy forward Dane Scarlett to win a late penalty after some neat footwork in the box, but Richarlison rattled the crossbar from the spot — just as he had done with a header moments earlier.
The victory moved Spurs onto eight points in their group and strengthened their bid for a top-eight Champions League finish.
READ MORE: How Brennan Johnson Can Be Super-Charged By The Arrival At Tottenham Of Thomas Frank
