Furious Queens boss Wullie Gibson has slammed claims of a bust-up with Palmerston striker Lee Connelly.
The player manager also revealed how the online rumours even prompted Connelly’s mum to ask her son if it was true there had been a confrontation.
Social media posts criticised the team following their 1-1 home draw with Alloa when they lost a late leveller after dominating the game.
And it was falsely claimed Connelly remained on the bench due to a battle between player and manager.
Gibson stressed: “Me and Lee get on great. A certain gentleman posts negative stuff constantly and it does grate on you.
“Suggesting me and Lee had a bust-up is nonsense.
“I actually sat down with Lee this week and his mum had asked him ‘Have you and the gaffer had a bust up?’
“That’s the negativity that I try to stop because it can play a part in a player’s head at times.
“Lee knows what I think of him and what he has to add to get into the team and on Saturday for someone to come out and target one player is unacceptable.
“The work he puts into training and how he plays speaks for itself.
“I know fans have got a right to their opinions. Whether it is right or wrong we have just got to deal with it.
“Social media gives these people a platform to say these things.”
Gibson dismissed suggestions of banning players from social media, but disclosed: “There are bits in all of our contracts not to say or write anything that could bring the club into disrepute.”
Gibson and the squad are now fully focussed on tomorrow’s away tussle with Airdrie with the prospect of two player/managers clashing with Rhys McCabe in an identical role to the Palmerston chief.
He said: “Obviously the last time we played Airdrie it was one of the poorest performances we had produced for a long while.
“We are now coming off the back of three very good performances which we hope to take into Saturday and make it four in a row.
“We are looking for consistency and there is no doubting that is what we have been lacking.
“We don’t need to pick the players up after Saturday – in terms of effort and the way we performed and dominated the game but just didn’t take our chances. It’s fine lines in football.
“Alloa nicked in at the end and got a point but it was one of those games where we had our backs to the wall and nervy. Just a case of not taking chances.
“Now we have Airdrie, Kelty Hearts and Peterhead coming up and we are obviously looking at taking them a game at a time and respect Airdrie.
“Rhys has got them playing very well.
“They got a defeat last Saturday and will want to bounce back so we have to be ready for that.”
