Carrick Condemns 'Appalling' Red Card Decision Against Martinez

Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, has lambasted the 'shocking' decision to send off Lisandro Martinez, labeling it as one of the worst refereeing calls he has ever witnessed. The Argentine defender was given his marching orders after a brief, unintentional hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin during the 2-1 defeat to Leeds at Old Trafford, which will now result in a three-match ban. Carrick expressed his discontent, stating that the incident did not constitute a pull or an aggressive act, and that the referee's decision to overturn the initial call was 'shocking.' The Manchester United head coach felt that the decision was particularly harsh, given that Martinez was off-balance and only made contact with Calvert-Lewin's hair for a split second. This incident marks the second consecutive game where Carrick believes his team has been unfairly treated by the referees. Meanwhile, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher sympathized with Carrick's frustrations, arguing that the decision was overly harsh and did not align with the spirit of the game. In contrast, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville disagreed, suggesting that Martinez should have been aware of the potential consequences of pulling an opponent's hair, given the increased scrutiny on such incidents this season.