Simon Jordan has dismissed Michael Carrick’s complaints about the red card shown to Lisandro Martinez, insisting the Manchester United boss is deflecting from his team’s poor performance in their 2-1 defeat to Leeds United.
Following the loss at Old Trafford, Carrick strongly criticised referee Paul Tierney’s decision to send off Martinez for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair. The United boss described the call as one of the worst he had seen, arguing there was inconsistency in how the incident was handled.
However, Jordan believes Carrick is focusing on the wrong issue. He pointed out that Manchester United were already 2-0 down at the time, after Noah Okafor scored twice in the first half, and suggested the real concern should be how Leeds dominated the game early on.
Jordan highlighted Leeds’ impressive attacking display, noting that Daniel Farke’s side created numerous chances and could have extended their lead before halftime. Statistics backed this up, with Leeds registering more attacking threat and covering more ground than the hosts.
Despite this, Carrick also questioned the build-up to Leeds’ opening goal, claiming there was a foul on Leny Yoro that should have ruled it out. United did manage to pull one goal back through Casemiro, but Leeds held firm to secure a significant victory.
Jordan, speaking on talkSPORT, argued that the rules around violent conduct are clear, even if hair pulling is not explicitly mentioned. Since it involves force applied to the head, it falls under actions that warrant a red card. He insisted Martinez only had himself to blame and that VAR was right to intervene.
He added that Carrick’s frustration seemed like an attempt to shift attention away from United’s shortcomings, bluntly stating that Leeds had already been outperforming them regardless of the dismissal.
The result marked a historic win for Leeds, their first league victory at Old Trafford since 1981, and significantly boosted their survival hopes. Attention now turns to their upcoming match against Wolves at Elland Road, where a win could move them further clear of the relegation zone.
With additional fixtures against struggling sides like Burnley, Tottenham, and West Ham still to come, Leeds have a strong opportunity to secure their Premier League status. However, failing to beat Wolves could dampen the momentum gained from their famous win over Manchester United.
