Tottenham fans are concerned for Brennan Johnson having seen his subdued celebration after he scored the winner against Coventry on Wednesday night.
Supporters have been posting sympathetic messages in response after the forward deleted his Instagram account following a slew of anonymous abuse.
Johnson scored a stoppage-time winner as Spurs mounted a last-gasp 2-1 comeback away at Coventry in the third round of the Carabao Cup, with Djed Spence having started the fightback in the 88th minute.
The abuse directed at him intensified after the 1-0 derby defeat against Arsenal, after which he deleted his Instagram, on the back of a perceived poor performance – though Mail Sport had given him a solid six.
After the win against Coventry, Johnson clapped the fans as Son Heung-min laid an arm round his neck but wore a serious expression.
Tottenham fans are concerned for Brennan Johnson after seeing how he reacted after scoring the winner against Coventry
He wore a grave expression at full time after deleting his Instagram account due to abuse
‘This is actually really sad. Abuse from rival fans is one thing, but you don’t expect it from your own to the level I see across social media. I’ve got your back Brennan Johnson, keep going my man,’ wrote one fan on X.
‘Agree mate. Give him love and see him blossom and that’s coming from a Forest fan,’ one replied.
‘He looked so nervous,’ said another.
‘I love this kid and we are such a fickle bunch of people. The worst thing is some people think giving someone c**p makes them better, it makes them feel c**p – we don’t deserve this kid!’ one commented.
‘I noticed he turned and walked away pretty much as soon as Son stopped ushering towards the fans,’ one wrote.
Another wisely said: ‘Social media can be a dark place.’
Spurs signed Johnson from Nottingham Forest for £47.5million on deadline day in the summer of 2023, handing him a six-year deal.
That was on the back of two impressive campaigns, during which time he helped them to get promoted and retain their Premier League status.
Ange Postecoglou is disgusted by the social media abuse that Johnson has been subjected to
Last season he racked up five goals and 10 assists in 34 appearances and he has been used consistently this season.
Defending the 23-year-old after hearing of the abuse towards him, manager Ange Postecoglou claimed he would ‘punch’ and trolls ‘on the nose’ if they had met.
‘I hate how we’ve just normalised all that stuff,’ he said.
‘I’ve been around long enough and even when I was playing, I copped a fair bit. But it was usually on the terraces and then the game was over and you’d go home.
‘You’re talking about a young guy who is probably lacking a bit of confidence at the moment. Things haven’t gone his way.
‘But he comes here every day, he’s working his backside off, he’s asking for feedback, he’s doing everything right, he’s trying so hard to become the player he wants to be. It’s hurting him a lot.
‘It’s not like he’s out on the town and he doesn’t care and he rolls up late. So what’s his crime? His crime is he isn’t performing at the level that people expect of him.
‘That getting abuse, and it is abuse and a lot of it personal, is oh well, that’s part of the territory. I don’t see that.
Johnson has endured a difficult start to the new season in his second year at Spurs
‘The fact that they’ve got to limit their world, close their world a little bit because of… I mean what kind of person writes abusive things to an individual?
‘Criticism is one thing, exasperation at a game, you accept that. To sit down and write something abusive anonymously… say it in front of me, you’ll get a punch on the nose, you won’t do it again, mate. But they won’t do that.’