Danny Murphy insists Steve Bruce was wrong to call out the officials in Newcastle's 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa.
The Magpies fell to a second successive defeat at the start of their 2021/22 Premier League campaign as goals from Danny Ings and Anwar El Ghazi sealed a comfortable Villa win.
Newcastle registered just one shot on target but Bruce decided to take aim at the officials, suggesting his side felt hard done to because of a couple of key decisions.
Villa's second goal came via a penalty after referee David Coote was referred to the VAR monitor following a possible Jamaal Lascelles handball from a goal-bound Tyrone Mings header.
READ MORE: Small margins key for Steve Bruce with Newcastle boss bemoaning VAR decisions
There was very little appeal from both Villa's players and supporters but the penalty was awarded following the check, much to Bruce's dismay.
However, former Liverpool midfielder Murphy feels the referee came to the 'right conclusion'.
"I think they were right," Murphy said on BBC's Match of the Day.
"His arm was away from his body irrelevant of where his foot is so I think he got it right.
"I can understand Steve Bruce's frustration because we covered it on the show a week ago where it shouldn't have been a penalty.
"He went to look at it, went to the screen, taken the time and came to the right conclusion."
Newcastle looked to have been given a route back into the game after Callum Wilson won a penalty after being fouled by Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
However, following another VAR check, Wilson was adjudged to have been slightly offside as he ran on to Joe Willock's pass.
Bruce hit out at the officials for 'looking at lines from armpits' but Murphy felt they got that decision correct as well.
"This one, there has to be a cut-off somewhere with this offside," Murphy added.
"The reason this is given as offside is because the lines do not overlap. Yes, there is a foul there because it doesn't matter because it is offside.
"The lines do not overlap unlike Bruno Fernandes last week. Yes, it is still fine details but that is the simple reason it is not given."
