Danny Murphy slammed Neil Warnock on talkSPORT for confronting Everton loanee Jarrad Branthwaite during Middlesbrough’s controversial defeat to Blackburn on Sunday.
Everton’s academy product, who is on-loan at Ewood Park, caught Boro defender Dael Fry in the face with his boot when he attempted to clear the ball from his penalty area following a cross in the first half.
Fry suffered a cut inches below his eye, but Branthwaite wasn’t sent off for his actions, nor was a penalty awarded.
That left the outspoken Warnock furious at the full-time, as he confronted the Everton teenager regarding his actions.
But former Liverpool midfielder Murphy defended Branthwaite and made it clear that he didn’t mean to hurt his counterpart.
“It’s a bad miss from the referee,” said Murphy. “It was a penalty. It was dangerous play. I don’t think the lad meant it. I have seen it.
“He certainly shouldn’t have been confronting the lad at the end of the game.
“If he had been given a penalty and been sent off then he wouldn’t have been confronting him. It’s not the lad’s fault that the referee made a decision.”
Fry was lucky in the fact that the underside of Branthwaite’s boot caught him just millimetres below his eye socket.
An inch higher and then he could have been in serious trouble, but the main thing is that he is recovering from the injury.
But it was quite clear from the incident that the Everton teen had his eyes on the ball and was attempting to clear it, so from his perspective, it was unfortunate.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
