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Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes confessed he was wary of facing consequences for speaking his mind about Lisandro Martínez's red card during the match against Leeds United, a decision that interim boss Michael Carrick described as "one of the worst" he had ever witnessed.
Ten minutes after the restart, with United already trailing 2–0 following Noah Okafor's brace in the first half, Martínez received a straight red card after being caught grabbing the hair of Leeds forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Carrick was visibly furious, maintaining not only that Martínez's action was far from violent conduct, but also suggesting that the Argentine defender was actually the victim in the confrontation with Calvert-Lewin.
"That decision was one of the worst I've ever seen," Carrick raged. "He [Calvert-Lewin] can throw his arms in Licha's [Martinez's] face—and then he's sent off. Shocking.
"I don't even know what it looks like. It's not a pull, it's not a tug, it's not aggressive. He touches it and he gets sent off. Worst of all, he gets sent to overturn it, a clear and obvious error. Shocking. He is off balance and grappling.
"We have got to be careful where the game is going. It is a shocking decision, absolutely shocking."
Fernandes: Rules Are Different for Everyone
Carrick was not the only one left feeling aggrieved. United captain Fernandes, who provided the assist for Casemiro's consolation goal just over 10 minutes after the dismissal, managed to bite his tongue when pressed for his thoughts.
"I am not talking about the referee," he told Sky Sports. "If I talk about the ref I am going to get in very big trouble because the rules are different for everyone and they play different for everyone.
"The difference in the yellow cards, you can also see it. So it's better that I don't say anything."
Calvert-Lewin: I Don't Make the Rules
The incident itself initially went largely unnoticed. Martínez and Calvert-Lewin had been wrestling and the Leeds striker ended up on the ground, but play was only halted after the former Everton forward drew the on-field referee's attention to what had occurred.
VAR stepped in and it was subsequently determined that Martínez should be sent off for what was officially classified as "violent conduct."
When asked whether he agreed with the ruling, Calvert-Lewin said: "I don't know, I don't make the rules.
"I felt my hair get pulled and obviously I told the ref, he's the one that makes the decisions, at the end of the day. Unfortunate for [Martínez].
"Whether he's meant it or not, I don't hold no grudges, but it is what it is."