Manchester United’s interim manager Michael Carrick has strongly criticised referee Paul Tierney for dismissing Lisandro Martinez during the 2-1 defeat to Leeds on Monday.
Martinez was sent off in the second half at Old Trafford after the United defender pulled the hair of Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Tierney issued the red card upon the advice of VAR officials, who prompted him to check the pitch-side monitor.
At the time of the dismissal, United were already behind due to a first-half brace from Noah Okafor.
While Casemiro managed to score for Carrick’s team, they ultimately fell short, marking the second defeat in his tenure of eleven matches.
“I thought the team showed great spirit and kept fighting for something positive after yet another shocking decision to send off Lisandro,” Carrick expressed.
“This is the second consecutive match we’ve faced controversial decisions like this, but this one has to be one of the worst I’ve witnessed.”
Addressing the incident, Carrick claimed that Calvert-Lewin’s initial contact had influenced Martinez’s response, stating: “You can see Calvert-Lewin throwing his arm into Martinez’s face, which puts him off balance, and in a moment of grappling, he lightly brushes the back of his hair, which causes the bobble to come loose.
“It wasn’t a pull, tug, or aggressive action. He merely touches it and gets sent off.”
“Worst of all, the decision is reversed, citing a clear and obvious error. It’s shocking.”
Martinez could potentially face a three-match ban, and when asked if United would consider an appeal, Carrick replied: “I will need to discuss it, but clearly, it’s a poor decision.”
Carrick also expressed frustration that Calvert-Lewin escaped punishment for a strong challenge on United defender Leny Yoro in the lead-up to Okafor’s first goal.
“We conceded following a forearm smash to Leny Yoro’s head, leading to their first goal,” he said.
“They chose not to overturn that decision, and it had a significant impact on the match.”
Despite the setback, United remain in third position in the Premier League, seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea in the hunt for a Champions League spot through a top-five finish.
With only one win in their last four outings, United are set to visit Chelsea on Saturday in a vital match for Champions League qualification.
“This is just one game. We will definitely assess it and aim to improve. We have another crucial match next week and a significant end to the season ahead,” Carrick stated.
“We’re in a very strong position. Tonight’s disappointment is tough; we didn’t want to lose, nor did we want to see such poor decisions against us, but we’ll move forward.
“There’s a lot to look forward to as we finish the season.”
Compiled by SportArena.au
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