Carrick Condemns 'Appalling' Red Card for Martinez: 'One of the Most Egregious Decisions I've Witnessed'

Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, lambasted the 'shocking' decision to send off Lisandro Martinez, labeling it as 'one of the worst' refereeing calls he has ever seen. The controversy stemmed from a brief hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which was deemed a red card offense after a VAR review. Carrick expressed his outrage, stating that the incident was not aggressive and did not warrant such a harsh punishment. He also pointed out the inconsistency in refereeing decisions, citing an earlier incident where Calvert-Lewin had made contact with a Manchester United defender without being penalized. The red card has resulted in a three-match ban for Martinez, with Carrick and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher sympathetic to his plight. Carragher emphasized that while the rulebook is clear on hair pulling, the situation did not merit a red card, and that the game should be considered in context, rather than just adhering to the letter of the law. However, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville disagreed, believing that Martinez should have been aware of the heightened scrutiny on hair pulling this season and that the decision, although 'soft', was technically correct.