Derby County fans have leapt to the defence of their midfield schemer.
The narrative of the substitute who gets substituted is one of the most belittling experiences of any professional footballer – just ask former Arsenal man Emmanuel Eboue.
Whilst this infamous fate did not quite apply to Derby County midfielder Bradley Johnson during the Rams’ 3-3 Championship draw with Bristol City, perhaps the next most humbling occurrence did.
Johnson endured a torrid opening 30 minutes against the Robins – in which the away side raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of goals from Matty Taylor and Tammy Abraham – before the 29-year-old was replaced by Ikechi Anya.
See also: Derby’s Will Hughes causes Twitter frenzy with celebration and amnesia
Upon seeing his number called, Johnson left the Pride Park turf with his own pride dented through the medium of embarrassment – tinged with frustrated disappointment.
Johnson’s subsequent show of petulance involved Derby’s number 15 removing his shirt and throwing said attire down to the ground, before taking his seat on the bench – an act that was not favourably viewed by some.
In a further frustration for the now forlorn Johnson, the midfielder saw his side concede a third shortly after his removal – as Abraham bagged his second on 38 minutes.
However, the second half saw a conversely different Derby display – as a Tom Ince strike was sandwiched between a Darren Bent double to secure an unlikely 3-3 draw for Steve McClaren’s Rams.
The point not only diminished a potential controversy over Johnson’s reaction to being ‘hooked’, but more importantly moved Derby into 8th position in the Championship standings – leaving McClaren’s men just five points behind Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off zone.
See also: Happier days for Derby’s Bradley Johnson
Upon reflection of Johnson’s shirt strop, fans of Derby took to social media outlet Twitter to offer their support for their midfield schemer – which mainly focused around the interpretation that Johnson’s antics were more a show of commitment and passion for the shirt, in light of an uncharacteristically poor showing.
Johnson himself took to Twitter to clarify his response to his early withdrawal – emphasising that the show of frustration was purely aimed at himself and not related to any sense of disregard for the shirt or the club.
Here’s a taste of the support offered to Derby County’s Bradley Johnson from the Rams’ faithful.
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