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 'shocking' decision to send off Lisandro Martinez, labeling it as 'one of the worst' refereeing calls he has ever seen, following the defeat to Leeds. The incident occurred when Martinez briefly pulled Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair, prompting a red card after a VAR review, which will result in a three-match ban for the Argentine defender. Carrick expressed his outrage, stating that the fleeting and unintentional hair pull did not warrant such a severe punishment. 'It's not a pull, it's not aggressive, he merely touches it and gets sent off. The worst part is that it was overturned as a clear and obvious error. It's shocking,' Carrick told Sky Sports. Martinez appeared perplexed as he left the pitch, having been grappling with Calvert-Lewin at the time of the incident. Carrick's frustration was further compounded by the fact that this was the second consecutive game where his team had been adversely affected by such decisions. The Manchester United head coach also took issue with the referee's decision not to overturn the opening goal, which was scored after Calvert-Lewin had caught defender Leny Yoro in the face with his arm. 'We didn't start the game well, and we conceded a goal that came after Leny Yoro was hit in the back of the head with a forearm,' Carrick added. The incident has sparked a debate, with Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher sympathizing with Carrick's perspective, while former Manchester United defender Gary Neville disagreed, believing that Martinez should have been aware of the heightened scrutiny surrounding hair pulling this season. Neville stated, 'It's not the equivalent of spitting, but it falls into a category where it's something you just don't do, and you know you'll get a red card for it.'