If their supporters turned on him, it's more the fact that he had a lot to do Aker being sacked. IMHO, Aker may have helped them through the finals series however; they ended up finishing in the same spot they have for the last 3 years.
If what happened behind the scenes at the bulldogs b/w Aker & Johnson was correct, where Johnson was the instigator, then the vitriol he received may be justified.