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Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou backs Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson to reach next level

Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou backs Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson to reach next level

Ange Postecoglou believes there is much more to come from wingers Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner as they adjust to Tottenham's style of play.

Johnson came off the bench at half-time and set up both goals as Spurs recovered from behind to beat Luton 2-1 on Saturday, and the £47.5million summer signing could to come into the XI for Tuesday's derby at West Ham.

Werner, a January loan signing from RB Leipzig, was also involved in both goals after missing a fine chance to level the score in the first half.

"Brennan was super on the weekend," Postecoglou said ahead of the visit to the London Stadium.

"He's still young, he's developing. He's moved to a big club where there's big expectations when you have a big transfer fee. But for the most part I think he's handled it really well.

"He's another one understanding more and more how we want to play and he's adjusting to it.

"It was always going to be a tough introduction for a young player, moving to a big club for a transfer fee. And it's always harder for attacking players because they are usually measured on one thing: goals and assists. But I think he's contributing in more [ways] than just that."

Former Chelsea forward Werner has two goals and two assists from six starts since returning to London and pressured Issa Kabore into an own goal from Johnson's cross against the Hatters, before his ball into the box was turned into the path of matchwinner Heung-min Son by the Wales international.

"It's fair to say he's made an impact in every game," Postecoglou said of Werner.

"Yeah, he'd probably like a couple more goals but at the same time he's an important part of our structure and I thought he was really good on the weekend. He has been in the last few games but I do think there's more improvement in him as he understands our game more."

Dejan Kulusevski was hooked at the interval on Saturday for Johnson, with Postecoglou afterwards saying the Swede was "coming inside a little bit too much".

Kulusevski could drop out of the XI against the Hammers to give Spurs two more direct wide players in Werner and Johnson. But Postecoglou believes the left-footed Kulusevski could play as a more traditional touchline-hugging winger from the right flank.

"I think [he] can do that," the manager said. "I mean Timo isn't a left-footed player and he plays on the left-hand side.

"I think what's more important to us is that we continue to challenge our players to develop and try to improve them, and Deki and all of those players I mentioned have got a real appetite for it. Where they end up positionally, some of that will be dictated by where the team's at as well and what we need.

"Deki and I think in general we've got a really young group and that's what I keep saying, my role within that is to keep challenging and pushing him to improve because if this is the baseline for the majority of this group and we can get them to a new level when we're already competing fairly well in this competition then that's going to help us improve.

"Whether that's Kulusevski or Brennan Johnson or [Micky] van de Ven, or Destiny [Udogie] or Pape [Sarr], all these guys who are in their very early twenties and only in their first or second year in the Premier League, that's our challenge as a club and a coaching group to improve all of them. Positionally we'll see where that develops but Deki has filled in [on the right, left and centre] positions for us this year and just about done a good job in just about every one of them."