Carrick referee decision criticism erupts after Manchester United lose 2-1 to Leeds following Lisandro Martinez red card controversy

Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick, at Old Trafford in Manchester, United Kingdom, criticised referee Paul Tierney following a controversial 2-1 defeat to Leeds United in a tense Premier League clash.

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The criticism centred on the red card shown to defender Lisandro Martinez in the second half after a VAR review recommended a pitch-side monitor check.

Martinez was dismissed after an incident involving Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with officials ruling that the Argentine had pulled the opponent’s hair during an off-the-ball exchange.

At the time of the sending-off, Manchester United were already trailing 2-0 after Noah Okafor’s first-half double, leaving the hosts with a difficult uphill battle.

Despite a second-half response that saw Casemiro pull one goal back, United were unable to salvage a result and suffered a second defeat in Carrick’s 11-match spell in charge

Carrick described the dismissal as “one of the worst” he had seen, insisting his side had been punished by repeated controversial decisions.

“We’ve had decisions like that go against us two games in a row,” Carrick said, expressing frustration over the consistency of officiating decisions.

He argued that Calvert-Lewin’s initial contact contributed to Martinez losing balance, suggesting the incident was not as intentional as officials interpreted.

Carrick also referenced another key moment, claiming Leny Yoro was subjected to a strong challenge in the build-up to Leeds’ opening goal, which was not overturned by VAR.

The Carrick referee decision criticism comes at a crucial stage of the season, with Manchester United still in third place in the Premier League standings and battling for Champions League qualification.

United are now set to face Chelsea in a high-stakes fixture this weekend, with Carrick insisting his team must quickly move past the setback.

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Despite the defeat, the interim manager maintained that there remains “a lot to be positive about” as the club enters a decisive end-of-season run.