Ex-Forest skipper Kenny Burns has hit back at Rafa Benitez after the Newcastle United boss virtually accused Henri Lansbury of play-acting to get Jonjo Shelvey sent off in the Reds' 2-1 win at the City Ground last night.
Double European Cup winner Burns was watching the Championship clash from the stands as Lansbury and Shelvey tangled inside the penalty area in the first half and the visitors' midfielder was shown a straight red card.
And he says there was no playacting from the Forest man – and that Shelvey blatantly stamped on him.
"Shelvey stamped on him and when you do that you deserve to be sent off," he said.
"It was a blatant stamp, I saw it from the stands. He had to go."
It was the flashpoint between Lansbury and Shelvey that got Benitez's blood boiling after the final whistle, the Spaniard saying: "I hope he (Henri Lansbury) is proud of his reaction."