Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, has strongly criticized the decision to send off Lisandro Martinez, labeling it as 'one of the worst' refereeing decisions he has ever seen. The incident occurred during the team's 2-1 defeat to Leeds, when Martinez was given a red card for a brief and seemingly unintentional hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Carrick expressed his outrage, stating that the decision was 'shocking' and that the referee's choice to overturn the initial decision was misguided.
He argued that the contact was minimal and not aggressive, and that the punishment was overly harsh. The Argentine defender now faces a three-match ban, adding to Manchester United's woes. The decision has sparked debate, with some pundits, like Jamie Carragher, sympathizing with Carrick's perspective, while others, such as Gary Neville, believe that Martinez should have been more aware of the consequences of his actions given the current scrutiny surrounding hair pulling in the sport.