An already wretched 2024-25 season for Tottenham Hotspur reached a new low point on Friday night as they were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa.
It was their 25th defeat of the season in all competitions - their joint-highest in history alongside the 1991-92 campaign.
Brennan Johnson had the fortune of being rested for the contest at Villa Park, only coming off the bench in the 87th minute as Ange Postecoglou rotated his side in preparation for Wednesday night's Europa League final against Manchester United.
The contest at Bilbao's San Mamés could prove decisive in determining the future of Spurs' Australian manager, although his fate may well already be sealed given the shambolic nature of his side's Premier League campaign.
It has been an equalling testing season for Wales forward Johnson, but he has far more in the credit column than his Aussie boss.
Johnson does at least boast the still impressive achievement of comfortably being the club's leading scorer this season having netted 18 times in all competitions - with 11 of those coming in the Premier League.
With Harry Kane now getting to grips with silverware at Bayern Munich and Son Heung-min desperately struggling for form this term, Spurs have been crying out for a talisman to show there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Johnson has gone some way to filling that void, although even his top notch output - his best in a top-flight season so far - has done little to appease the supporters who see their side languishing in 17th place in the Premier League as they prepare to face Ruben Amorim's men - who are just one spot and one point better off in the league.
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Lifting the second-best trophy on offer in European domestic competition may not fully mask what has been a dire season for those from north London, but it would at least represent a major honour in the cabinet, something no member of the squad has been able to deliver at the club.
For Johnson, it would help to further justify his hefty £45m price tag should he be able to inspire Spurs to glory in Spain, while also etching his name into folklore at a club that has not lifted a trophy since winning the League Cup in 2008.
Like team-mate Ben Davies, Johnson is not involved in Wales' training camp in Spain this week due to his ongoing commitments to Spurs - with Fulham's Harry Wilson also missing the international trip.
Craig Bellamy has been eager for his players - many of whom have not played a competitive fixture since the 2024-25 English Football League season ended on the opening weekend of May - to remain as close to their peak levels as possible.
Tottenham's mammoth clash with the Red Devils will undoubtedly benefit the likes of Johnson who will bid to be fully primed for action when Wales resume their World Cup qualifying campaign with fixtures against Liechtenstein and Belgium next month.
He says of Spurs’ Euro campaign, “When times have been tough and we’ve had to go to some tough places in Europe and got some really good results, it brings the squad together a massive amount.
“The quarter-final, the semi-final, these games have been massive for us. Unbelievable victories, real togetherness and yeah, it just make us stronger and more together.”
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June has often been a struggle for Wales of late, with many players clearly suffering from a lack of regular game time prior to the summer schedule.
Even back to the days under Ryan Giggs, Wales were beaten by both Croatia and Hungary prior to qualifying for Euro 2020.
They missed out on a place in last year's showpiece in Germany, thanks largely to the June losses against Armenia and Turkey under Rob Page.
Now a key figure for the national side, Johnson will hope to emulate his goal scoring success from club level with Wales as Bellamy looks to guide his country to a second successive World Cup.
And while he will be determined to salvage something from what has been a miserable campaign for Spurs, Johnson's involvement in such high-profile fixtures can only be of benefit to Bellamy and Wales in the long run.
