Carrick Condemns 'Appalling' Red Card for Martinez: 'One of the Worst Decisions I've Ever Seen'

Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, has strongly criticized the decision to send off Lisandro Martinez, calling it 'one of the worst' refereeing decisions he has ever witnessed. The incident occurred during the team's 2-1 loss to Leeds at Old Trafford, where Martinez was given a red card after a brief hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin was spotted by VAR. Carrick argued that the decision was harsh, stating that it was not a deliberate or aggressive act, and that the referee's decision to overturn the initial call was 'shocking.' Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher shared Carrick's sentiments, expressing sympathy for the head coach. Martinez's dismissal has resulted in a three-match ban, and Carrick was further frustrated by the decision to allow Leeds' early goal to stand, despite a potential foul in the build-up. The guidance in the Premier League handbook states that players will be sent off for forcefully pulling an opponent's hair, but Carragher believes that this rule does not apply to situations like Martinez's, where the contact was minimal and unintentional. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville disagreed, feeling that Martinez should have been aware of the heightened scrutiny surrounding hair pulling this season and taken greater care to avoid any contact.