Former Nottingham Forest midfielder David Prutton says any suggestion that winger Brennan Johnson's attitude has been poor of late is nonsense.
The Wales international saw a penalty saved at Molineux on Saturday as Forest lost 1-0 at Midlands rivals Wolves with the defeat stretching Steve Coopers' side's winless run in the Premier League to eight matches. However, of the Reds' seven league goals scored this season, the 21-year-old has netted twice.
Prutton, who made 163 appearances for Forest, reflected on the reaction of supporters on Twitter after the Reds' defeat on Saturday, saying that criticism on the platform after a defeat is 'as inevitable as death and taxes'.
READ MORE: Steve Cooper sends out strong message over Nottingham Forest's 'playtime' Wolves jibe
"There was even a burst in, I think it was in added time, where he showed his fitness levels, he showed his capacity to carry a football," Prutton said on the latest Garibaldi Red podcast. "I don't know, I think sometimes things like this, as we've discussed in the past, might gain traction on Twitter. It's as inevitable as death and taxes isn't it? (Idiots) on Twitter. It's a wonderful platform for discourse and debate, I absolutely understand that, but it's also a great place to start off stuff like this.
"And take out of the equation Brennan's history with the football club and his dad and how well liked and how well respected he is, he's an international footballer going to the World Cup.
"I understand that there are, at times, elements of the projection of the way footballers are when a team is struggling. I absolutely get that and it comes with the territory, it comes with the exposure, the money, and sorry modern footballers but you've just got to get on with that. It's the stick that you're always going to get beaten with when things aren't going great but you're well remunerated so shut up and get on with it.
"But, I think that the finger getting pointed at the lack of effort, there are some players that you may come across like that in your career as we are when we're commentating on football. But, I don't think that Brennan Johnson, for the standards that he's set by himself, nor knowing the people around him, would settle for at all."
The former Premier League midfielder turned Sky Sports presenter also admitted that the level of the top flight is significantly higher than it was when he was playing for Southampton whilst reiterating that Johnson has only made 10 appearances in the competition, saying: "It's a learning curve in full glare of everyone that's got an opinion.
"You mention about me, 20 years ago, it's different, it's miles different. The Premier League is lightyears better than it was so people looking at Wolves not doing very well, it's still a team that's been in the Premier League and is a bit more battle hard. I think he [Johnson] will be better off for this, that's the positive that you've got to put on it. He'll be stronger for working his way through this. I've got no doubt that he will work his way through it because of the type of player and the person that he is."
READ NEXT:
