Source: Team_Talk
Kyle could face Killie sanction
Scotland striker Kyle this week said Johnston had attempted to "discreetly" discuss manager Jim Jefferies' tactics with him, with the 28-year-old feeling to have done so would have been going behind his boss' back.[LNB]Johnston has now denied instigating a conversation on the subject with the player, who also recently went public with his concerns about Killie's lack of a club doctor.[LNB]Johnston told BBC Radio Scotland: "If I wanted to talk tactics, I'd discuss it with the manager.[LNB]"It was a subject raised by Kevin. I telephoned him to invite him to a discussion about a press article which appeared in the Daily Record on 1 January, in which he made some comments about internal matters relating to medical facilities.[LNB]"I also said it would be an opportunity to discuss his contract extension.[LNB]"In the telephone conversation, I asked Kevin about the match at St Mirren which we had lost 1-0 the previous day and he complained about a lack of service in the box.[LNB]"The question of tactics was raised by him. I acknowledged his concern over tactics but I certainly didn't raise the subject and I didn't question him on it and I didn't ask him to a meeting to discuss tactics."[LNB]Johnston plans to establish whether or not Kyle has been misquoted before taking punitive measures against the player.[LNB]"I have to establish with Kevin if he has been accurately reported," he added. "If that is the case, there will be a disciplinary hearing.[LNB]"He is, on the face of it, in breach of his player contract.[LNB]"It is hugely disappointing when the team captain, who has been treated as a hero at Rugby Park, goes to the press with something like this.[LNB]"I don't think he realises how disruptive it is for the club, for the supporters and sponsors.[LNB]"I don't think he has thought through the consequences of his actions."[LNB]Jefferies refused to comment on the matter on Friday but was reported to be furious with his chairman.[LNB]But Johnston insists his manager's anger is actually directed at Kyle.[LNB]"Jim Jefferies will be seriously let down by all of this because he phoned Kevin Kyle on Thursday evening before this article in the Sun was published and instructed him to withdraw his comments because Jim recognised that this wasn't a good thing for the club," said the Rugby Park chairman.[LNB]"He has let down the manager and the club and it is a huge distraction for the players at a critical time of the season.[LNB]"There is too much of Kilmarnock's affairs being paraded in the media. I don't know who is doing it or why but it's distracting and unprofessional and it has to stop."[LNB]Cash-strapped Killie have slipped to second bottom of the Scottish Premier League after winning just one of their last nine games.[LNB]Jefferies has been at Rugby Park for almost eight years and this season has arguably been his most difficult in charge.[LNB]He saw his bid to add former player Gary Locke to his coaching team snubbed by Johnston in the summer.[LNB]That did not go down well with the players, who were also far from happy after Johnston imposed a new system of fines for yellow and red cards.[LNB]Kyle, meanwhile, is out of contract in May and Johnston had planned to offer the striker an extension.[LNB]He said: "He has been treated as a hero so we are keen to keep him.[LNB]"I wanted to talk to him about an extension in the summer, and he wanted to wait until the turn of the year to see what his options were.[LNB]"He is clearly frustrated that he is not getting the opportunity to put himself in the shop window that he thought he would this season. There has been no interest in him whatsoever."[LNB][LNB]
