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 red card was issued after a brief, seemingly unintentional hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin during the team's 2-1 loss to Leeds at Old Trafford, resulting in a three-match ban for Martinez. Carrick expressed his outrage, stating, 'It's not a pull, it's not a tug, it's not aggressive, he touches it and gets sent off. The worst part is that it was sent for review as a clear and obvious error. It's shocking.' Former Manchester United defender Jamie Carragher shared Carrick's sentiments, feeling that the incident did not warrant a red card. In contrast, Gary Neville believed that Martinez should have been aware of the consequences of pulling an opponent's hair, given the increased scrutiny this season.