Paul Tierney’s decision to send off Lisandro Martinez for a slight tug of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair has led to widespread debate, with Rio Ferdinand the latest to criticise it.
Manchester United failed to get back to winning ways on Monday night.
After a three-week break, United lost 2-1 against Leeds and were reduced to 10 men in the second half.
Lisandro Martinez’s red card was slammed by MUTV pundits, but nobody can excuse the lacklustre performance from Michael Carrick’s side on the night.
Lisandro Martinez sees red card against Leeds
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Lisandro Martinez has been SENT OFF for a hair pull – Let us know your thoughts…
It was described as 'violent conduct'
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Rio Ferdinand furious with decisions that went against Man Utd
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand has called some of Paul Tierney’s decisions on Monday night a ‘joke’, after assessing a game that saw Carrick’s side throw away the opportunity to move 10 points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea before travelling to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The major talking point was Martinez’s red card in the 56th minute after a slight tug on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair.
Tierney didn’t see the incident until VAR intervened and told him to check the pitchside monitor. That is where it was decided that Martinez was guilty of violent conduct.
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Carrick was frustrated by the decision after saying it was “one of the worst I’ve seen” as he made a comparison to a foul that was overlooked when Calvert-Lewin elbowed Leny Yoro in the head.
Speaking about Tierney’s decisions on the night, Ferdinand told the Rio Reacts podcast: “The refereeing decisions in this game were an absolute joke. And then even worse is that, yeah, he does touch his hair. It’s fine. It’s not violent conduct.
“How is that deemed as violent conduct? I don’t understand it. It’s not. The flailing arms are much more hard. And if you’re gonna say anything violent out of the two scenarios, it’s that.
“I’ve got elbowed in my face loads. Not proper elbows. I’m talking about when your arms are you’re fighting, jostling to get on the ball. That’s normal. That’s football.
“But taking out a hairband the way he did, plaiting my kid’s hair is more violent than doing what I saw on TV last night. It’s a joke. I just can’t get my head around what is going on. And I’m not sitting here trying to defend Manchester United.
“We lost the game fair and square to Leeds. Well done to Leeds United for winning the game at Old Trafford. Massive, massive, massive win for them, especially in their fight to stay up. All right? But those decisions in the game were terrible.”
⚡️ NEWS IN BRIEF
Rio Ferdinand criticises Paul Tierney’s decisions after Manchester United lose 2-1 against Leeds
Ferdinand disagreed strongly with Lisandro Martinez’s red card for ‘violent conduct’
The former United defender provides insight into the elbows he received during tussles as a player
What did you make of Leny Yoro’s performance vs Leeds?
He seemed to thrive in the chaos of 10-man United
Leny Yoro stats
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Paul Tierney record from Man Utd matches
Last night was the first time Tierney refereed a United match in two years.
The previous game, before Leeds, was a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal.
In total, Tierney has refereed 26 United matches.
United won 14 of those, lost eight and drew four.
The red card issued to Martinez was the first from Tierney in a United game.
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