Interim manager Michael Carrick has slammed referee Paul Tierney following Lisandro Martinez’s sending-off during Manchester United’s 2-1 loss against Leeds on Monday.
Martinez received his marching orders in the second half at Old Trafford after the United defender pulled the hair of Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Tierney brandished a red card after being advised by VAR officials to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
At the time of the dismissal, United were already trailing due to Noah Okafor’s double in the first half.
Though Casemiro managed to pull one back for Carrick’s side, they couldn’t stave off their second defeat in Carrick’s 11-match stewardship.
“I thought the lads showed great spirit; they remained positive and fought hard to salvage something after yet another shocking decision to dismiss Lisandro,” Carrick remarked.
“This is the second match in succession where we’ve faced such decisions, and I believe this one ranks among the worst I’ve witnessed.”
Pointing out that Calvert-Lewin’s initial contact influenced Martinez’s reaction, Carrick elaborated: “You can swing your arm into Martinez’s face and then, as he’s losing his balance from that, he half grapples and lightly touches the back of his hair, which dislodges the bobble.”
“I’m not even sure how that looks. It’s neither a pull nor a tug, certainly not aggressive. He simply touches it and gets sent off.”
“What’s worse is that he is sent off to have the decision overturned—a clear and obvious error. It’s utterly shocking.”
Martinez could be facing a three-match ban, and when asked about a potential appeal, Carrick responded: “I’ll need to discuss it, but I believe it was a poor decision.”
Carrick also expressed frustration that Calvert-Lewin escaped punishment for a strong challenge on United defender Leny Yoro leading up to Okafor’s opening goal.
“We conceded after Leny Yoro received a forearm smash to the back of the head, and they scored from that moment,” he explained.
“They chose not to overturn that decision, which was a significant moment in the match.”
Despite the setback, United find themselves in third place in the Premier League, seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification.
With only one victory in their last four matches, United are set to visit Chelsea on Saturday for a pivotal clash in the fight for Champions League positions.
“This is just one game. We’ll analyse it and strive for improvement. There’s another crucial match next week and a vital conclusion to the season ahead of us,” Carrick stated.
“We’re in a very good position. Tonight was disappointing; we didn’t want to lose, nor did we want the referee’s decisions to go against us like this, but we’ll move forward.”
“There’s a significant conclusion to the season ahead, and plenty to be positive about.”
Compiled by SportArena.au
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