Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, has expressed his outrage over the 'one of the worst' refereeing decisions he has witnessed, which led to the dismissal of Lisandro Martinez in their 2-1 defeat to Leeds. The incident occurred when Martinez briefly pulled Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair, prompting the referee to send him off after a VAR review, resulting in a three-match ban.
Carrick argued that the decision was excessively harsh, stating, 'It's not a pull, it's not a tug, it's not aggressive, he touches it and gets sent off.' Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher shared Carrick's sentiments, emphasizing that the punishment did not fit the crime. Martinez's red card has sparked a debate among football pundits, with some, like Gary Neville, believing that the player should have been more aware of the consequences of his actions, given the increased scrutiny on hair-pulling incidents this season.