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

Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, has vehemently criticized the decision to send off Lisandro Martinez, labeling it as 'one of the worst' refereeing decisions he has ever seen. The controversy arose when Martinez was given a red card for a brief and seemingly unintentional hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin during their 2-1 defeat to Leeds at Old Trafford. The incident, which occurred after a VAR review, has left Carrick infuriated, particularly as it resulted in a three-match ban for the Argentine defender. Carrick argued that the contact was minimal and not aggressive, stating, 'It's not a pull, it's not a tug, it's not aggressive, he touches it and gets sent off. Worst of all is he was sent to overturn it as a clear and obvious error. It's shocking.' The decision has sparked a heated debate, with some pundits, including Jamie Carragher, sympathizing with Carrick's perspective, while others, like Gary Neville, believe that Martinez should have been more cautious given the current scrutiny surrounding hair pulling in the Premier League.