Tony Mowbray defends Everton loanee after 18y/o involved in big talking point v Middlesbrough
Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray has rushed to the defence of Everton loan star Jarrad Branthwaite after the 18-year-old was involved in an ugly challenge on Sunday.
Branthwaite raised his foot in a challenge with Boro defender Dael Fry that forced his opponent to be substituted in the 18th minute after sustaining an eye injury.
The challenge went unpunished but prompted an angry response from seething Boro boss Neil Warnock after the game.
As reported by the Lancashire Telegraph, Rovers manager Mowbray fired back at Warnock, saying: “I’m not sure he should be facing an 18-year-old boy up who is just starting his career.
“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.”
Branthwaite bedding in well
This was a sour note in what has been a great start to life in the Championship for Branthwaite at Blackburn.
The game at the Riverside Stadium was just his second since moving on a loan deal until the end of the season for Everton but he is unbeaten in both matches and helped to shut out a Boro attack that had only failed to score once in their previous eight games.
He was brought in to ease the Lancashire side’s defensive injury crisis with established pros such as Daniel Ayala and Derrick Williams on the treatment table.
This is Branthwaite’s first taste of second-tier action with his only prior EFL experience coming in League Two with Carlisle United.
He did make four Premier League appearances for Everton last term as Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti opted to try him out towards the end of the campaign.
However this season his injury troubles alongside the impressive form of senior central defenders Michael Keane and Yerry Mina have seen seen him make just a solitary appearance against Salford City in the League Cup back in September.
In other Everton news, Michael Owen laps up Blues star following impressive FA Cup display.