Carrick Condemns 'Appalling' Red Card for Martinez, Calling it 'One of the Worst' He's Witnessed

Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, has expressed his outrage over the red card given to Lisandro Martinez, labeling it as 'one of the most egregious' refereeing decisions he has ever seen. The incident occurred during the team's 2-1 loss to Leeds, with Martinez receiving a red card after a brief, unintentional hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Argentine defender was left bewildered as he exited the pitch, and Carrick was incensed by the harsh punishment meted out for what he deemed a minor infraction. 'It's not a pull, it's not a tug, it's not aggressive, he simply touches it and gets sent off,' Carrick stated in an interview with Sky Sports. 'The most disturbing aspect is that the referee was instructed to overturn the decision due to a clear and obvious error, yet he still chose to dismiss Martinez. It's shocking.' The sending-off has resulted in a three-match ban for Martinez, and Carrick's frustration was compounded by the fact that this is the second consecutive game in which his team has been adversely affected by a contentious refereeing decision. Former Manchester United defender Jamie Carragher shared Carrick's sentiments, feeling that the red card was unwarranted and that the incident did not warrant such severe punishment. In contrast, Gary Neville, another former Manchester United defender, believed that Martinez should have been aware of the potential consequences of his actions, given the increased scrutiny surrounding hair-pulling incidents in the Premier League this season.