Neil Warnock: Middlesbrough boss 'embarrassed' by Swansea's late penalty at Stoke
- Published
Swansea City earned a penalty after Kyle Naughton went down under a challenge from Jack Clarke at Stoke in mdweek
Championship: Swansea City v Middlesbrough |
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Venue: Liberty Stadium Date: Saturday, 6 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT |
Coverage: BBC Radio Wales live commentary on SW FM & DAB, plus live text and score updates on the BBC Sport website and app |
Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock says he felt "embarrassed" by the decision to award Swansea City a match-winning penalty at Stoke City in midweek.
Andre Ayew scored from the spot as Stoke boss Michael O'Neil fumed, with many observers believing Jack Clarke had not fouled Swansea's Kyle Naughton.
"Michael O'Neill did ever so well not getting fined," said Warnock.
The former Cardiff City boss added: "I don't know what to say without getting into trouble really."
After seeing his side lose to the late penalty, O'Neill said: "It is a big call, an incorrect call in my opinion having seen the incident back.
"I think the contact was the Swansea player on his own leg. I think he inadvertently tripped himself up. Only the player can tell you whether he dived or not.
"Jack Clarke is trying not to make contact. I have seen it from three angles and I don't think there is any contact."
Warnock's Middlesbrough face Steve Cooper's promotion-chasing Swansea in the Championship on Saturday.
He said: "They're a good side, aren't they? He's (Cooper) got a good group of players and they've done ever so well."
And while not impressed at the manner of Swansea's win at Stoke, Warnock was tongue-in-cheek about his Boro assistant Kevin Blackwell's influence on Naughton's actions.
Blackwell was Naughton's boss at Sheffield United when he made his senior debut in 2008.
"They won the game in the 94th minute and I blame Kevin Blackwell really. He gave Kyle Naughton his debut so he must be teaching him how to go down," Warnock said.
"So it's Kevin Blackwell's fault."
Warnock also recalled his visits to Swansea as Cardiff boss.
"I've not had too many trips to Swansea (while at Cardiff). We got battered in one of the games when we tried to play a different system," he said.
"We lost two players a day before a match and tried to adjust, but we couldn't adjust and they were too good for us really.
"But I am looking forward to it. I think we can go anywhere and give them a game, me, whoever's in the league."