Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou on Brennan Johnson

Forward Brennan Johnson can be a “significant contributor” for Tottenham Hotspur if he gets through his challenging spell, says head coach Ange Postecoglou.

The 23-year-old scored a dramatic late winner for Spurs in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory over Championship side Coventry City, but remained muted in his celebrations.

The goal came after Johnson reportedly deactivated his Instagram account because of criticism in the wake of the derby defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

“With Brennan, you know I spoke about it [on Tuesday] that he comes in, works hard at his game and when you’re an attacking player, you’re always kind of getting measured against certain things,” Postecoglou said.

“I said, if he can get through this period and just be positive and play like he can, he can be a significant contributor to us and credit to him. He got a good goal.”

Johnson has scored six goals since joining Tottenham from Nottingham Forest for a fee in excess of £45m last September, with Postecoglou saying he is “probably lacking a bit of confidence”.

On Wednesday, the Tottenham boss added it is “sad” that abuse on social media has become common.

“I hate how we’ve just normalised all that stuff,” the 59-year-old added.

Before moving to Spurs, the Wales player scored 29 goals and contributed 12 assists in 108 appearances for Forest.