Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock held nothing back in his criticism of Everton loanee Jarrad Branthwaite after the 18-year-old’s challenge on a counterpart left him with an eye injury.
A high boot from the on-loan Blackburn defender caused controversy after Branthwaite’s ‘Boro centre-half counterpart Dael Fry suffered nasty wounds around his eye socket during a challenge in the penalty area.
Middlesbrough’s official Instagram account shared pictures of the injury to Fry, exacerbating further tensions over the clash during Blackburn’s 1-0 win.
Branthwaite again proved to be a valuable presence for Rovers as they kept another clean sheet in their quest for promotion,but the incident overshadowed his performance.
The 18-year-old has featured in just two matches for his new club since joining them on loan this month, helping Tony Mowbray’s side pick up four points since his arrival.
‘Boro manager Warnock could be heard shouting to the officials after the incident, telling Branthwaite “you should be ashamed” as the 72-year-old made his wrath known.
Conversely, Rovers boss Mowbray was staunch in his defence of the Toffees youngster, adopting a forgiving approach by saying:
I know the boy, after working with him for over a week, 10 days, he’s just a boy who is on a journey who can’t believe that he’s played in the Premier League for Everton and now he’s at Blackburn learning his trade.
He’s just a kid. He has no edge to him. He’s not an angry kid, he’s a skinny boy. I have just seen him with his top off, he’s a skinny, scrawny kid who you could blow over. I don’t think I’d be confronting him really.
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Aside from some dubious comments on his physique, Mowbray has shown a cool and composed sting in his defence of Everton youngster Branthwaite.
The incident is unfortunate, but it should not concern Everton fans – it may well serve as a learning curve for Branthwaite, but the controversy is wrapped up in the emotions of the game more than anything else.
