Pundits have questioned the controversial decision to send Lisandro Martinez off for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair during Manchester United’s dismal Premier League defeat to rivals Leeds.
Martinez jumped for a header with the Leeds striker and grabbed onto Calvert-Lewin’s ponytail on the way down, something that was missed by referee Paul Tierney but picked up on by VAR.
Tierney was promptly advised to go to the monitor for an on-field review and sent off the Argentinian for violent conduct.
“Martinez is looking perplexed and confused. But a hair-pull results in a red card these days. He knew what he was doing,” said Gary Neville on Sky Sports commentary.
However, Michael Carrick slammed the decision after the final whistle as “shocking” and “one of the worst” he had ever seen.
While Calvert-Lewin, who complained to the referee that his hair had been tugged, tried getting out of the firing line by saying “I don’t make the rules”, Carrick’s outrage has been backed as warranted by the likes of Jamie Carragher on Roy Keane.
“I can see it from both sides and when you class it as violent conduct, it feels really harsh,” Keane said on Sky Sports.
“But we’ve seen other players getting sent off. It is harsh but if that’s the laws of the game, then you have to accept it.”
Carragher then debated whether any fan at home would have watched the incident in real time and thought it was a sending off.
“He’s going for the ball and he’s almost grappling. He’s trying to grab onto something and he’s caught the back of his hair – it could’ve been his hair or anything,” Carragher said. “He’s got him for about half a second.
“We hear from Howard Webb and he says ‘what does the game want?’
“I don’t think any football fan, manager or player is thinking ‘that’s a red card’.
“Everybody is looking at that and thinking ‘oh come on, that is not a red card, behave yourself’.”
Earlier in the season, Everton’s Michael Keane was red-carded for tugging Tolu Arokodare’s hair, with a sending-off for such an offence now being enforced by officials. The decision was unsuccessfully appealed by the club, a verdict which they pronounced themselves “surprised” and “disappointed” at.
Barring a successful appeal, Martinez will now be banned for three games, missing United’s matches against Chelsea, Brentford and Liverpool. Defensive teammate Harry Maguire may also be suspended for the Chelsea game if his ban gets extended, with the Englishman charged with “improper conduct” after being sent off at Bournemouth on 20 March.
Martinez’s dismissal came on his return from injury, departing on 55 minutes as United trailed 2-0 to Leeds thanks to a first-half Noah Okafor brace. The hosts had the Argentinian to thank that their deficit wasn’t larger, however, who produced a stunning last-ditch tackle on the line to deny Ao Tanaka after he had rounded Senne Lammens.
Casemiro got one back for United 13 minutes after the hosts went down to 10 men, giving Michael Carrick’s side of a comeback.
But United were unable to salvage a result as Leeds earned their first league win at Old Trafford since 1981 and leapt six points clear of the drop zone.
