Carrick Condemns 'Appalling' Red Card for Martinez

Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, has strongly criticized the decision to send off Lisandro Martinez in their 2-1 defeat to Leeds, labeling it as 'one of the worst' refereeing decisions he has witnessed. The incident occurred when Martinez momentarily pulled Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair, prompting a VAR review and a subsequent red card from referee Paul Tierney. Carrick argued that the brief and unintentional hair pull did not warrant such a harsh punishment, particularly given that Martinez was grappling with Calvert-Lewin at the time. He expressed frustration that this decision, combined with another disputed call earlier in the game, had significantly impacted the outcome. Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher shared Carrick's sentiments, stating that the red card was excessive and that the rule governing hair pulling should be applied with consideration for the context of the situation. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, however, felt that Martinez should have been aware of the heightened scrutiny on hair pulling this season and thus should have avoided any such action.