Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, lambasted the 'inexcusable' decision to dismiss Lisandro Martinez, labeling it 'one of the most atrocious' refereeing calls he has ever seen. The Argentine defender was given his marching orders after a brief, seemingly unintentional hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which was spotted by VAR. The incident occurred during Manchester United's 2-1 loss to Leeds at Old Trafford, with Martinez now facing a three-match suspension. Carrick expressed his outrage, stating that the fleeting and non-aggressive contact did not warrant such a harsh punishment.
He pointed out that the referee, Paul Tierney, was initially hesitant to issue a red card but was overruled by VAR. 'It's not a pull, it's not a tug, it's not aggressive; he merely touches it, and yet he's sent off.
The most alarming aspect is that it was overturned as a clear and obvious error. It's shocking,' Carrick exclaimed.
The Manchester United head coach also felt that his team was unfairly treated when the opening goal, scored by Noah Okafor, was allowed to stand despite Calvert-Lewin's forearm smash to the back of defender Leny Yoro's head in the build-up. Jamie Carragher, a Sky Sports pundit, sympathized with Carrick's frustration, arguing that the decision to send off Martinez was excessively harsh. He drew parallels with a similar incident involving Everton's Michael Keane, who was also dismissed for a hair pull earlier in the season.
Carragher emphasized that while the rulebook dictates that hair pulling should be punished with a red card, the context of the situation should also be taken into account. In contrast, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville disagreed, believing that Martinez should have been more aware of the potential consequences of his actions, given the increased scrutiny on hair pulling this season.