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 referee's decision to send off Lisandro Martinez, labeling it as 'one of the worst' refereeing calls he has ever seen. The incident occurred during Manchester United's 2-1 defeat to Leeds, with Martinez receiving a red card after a brief hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which was deemed a serious offense by the referee after a VAR review. Carrick expressed his outrage, stating that the decision was 'shocking' and that the contact was unintentional and not aggressive. He also pointed out that this was the second consecutive game where his team had been adversely affected by such decisions. Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher sympathized with Carrick, noting that the rule, although clear, does not always account for the nuances of the game. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, however, disagreed, believing that Martinez should have been aware of the consequences of pulling an opponent's hair, given the increased scrutiny on such actions this season.