PETALING JAYA: In an age where social media strongly influences opinions on footballers, it is hard for fans not to follow the herd.

And bearing the brunt of such scrutiny of late is Indonesian Ramadhan Sananta who plays for Brunei.

The 23-year-old’s dry spell in front of goal has made him an easy target for netizens.

But thankfully, Indonesia’s English coach John Herdman has jumped to Ramadhan’s defence, urging fans to assess the player’s overall performance rather than focusing solely on goals.

“I’m truly disappointed with the criticism Ramadhan has received. He is someone who always fights on the field for Indonesia every time he plays,” said Herdman.

“He has a great spirit and loves his country. Unfortunately, some social media comments have gone too far. We should behave better.”

Herdman emphasised that Ramadhan’s contributions extend beyond scoring, highlighting his movement and work rate on the pitch.

“This young player creates space and leads the pressing from the front. If we look at Olivier Giroud, he did not score in the 2018 World Cup for France, yet his performances were not criticised to that extent because he still worked for the team.