Ange Postecoglou has condemned social media abuse aimed at footballers while backing Wales forward Brennan Johnson to thrive at Tottenham Hotspur.
Johnson reportedly deactivated his Instagram account because of criticism in the wake of his clubâs derby defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
Postecoglou says the 23-year-old, who has scored five Spurs goals since joining from Nottingham Forest last September, is âprobably lacking a bit of confidenceâ.
But the Tottenham boss says it is âsadâ that abuse on social media has become commonplace.
âI hate how weâve just normalised all that stuff,â Postecoglou said.
âIâve 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 youâd go home.
âYouâre talking about a young guy who is probably lacking a bit of confidence at the moment. Things havenât gone his way.
âBut he comes here every day, heâs working his backside off, heâs asking for feedback, heâs doing everything right, heâs trying so hard to become the player he wants to be. Itâs hurting him a lot.
âItâs not like heâs out on the town and he doesnât care and he rolls up late. So whatâs his crime? His crime is he isnât performing at the level that people expect of him.â
Spurs paid in excess of £45m to sign Johnson after he shot to prominence at Forest, scoring 29 goals in 108 appearances for the City Ground club after coming through their academy.
But the Nottingham-born player has struggled for consistency since moving to north London.
âThe fact that theyâve 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?â he added.
âCriticism is one thing, exasperation at a game, you accept that. To sit down and write something abusive anonymously⦠say it in front of me, youâll get a punch on the nose, you wonât do it again, mate. But they wonât do that.â
Postecoglou, whose side are 13th in the early-season table, could include Johnson when Tottenham go to Coventry City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
âWhen I look at Brennan and I see a young man who is trying his hardest to be the best he can be,â he said.
âIt doesnât always guarantee success and itâs part of his journey how he deals with all this. But heâs a great kid, a great footballer and Iâm very optimistic about what heâs going to do for us.â