Former Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has blasted the online petition to remove Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley from the England squad.
As many as 12,500 people are reported to have signed the document that was criticised by United boss David Moyes, and Reds legend Dalglish has said that he is in agreement with his fellow Scot.
In his column in The Mirror, Dalglish wrote: "Social media can be put to good effect. I know that. It has its uses. This isn't one of them.
"It is easy to say Cleverley should have a thick skin but it's not just him who's affected by this. It's the people around him, too.
"If the boy has had a couple of bad games, so what? This kind of thing is totally and utterly unfair."
The petition has been defended by its creator.