Lisandro Martinez Doubles Down on Manchester United Board Criticism
Manchester United’s 2-0 Champions League loss at Atletico Madrid has been followed by an internal row after Lisandro Martinez publicly challenged the club’s leadership and called for greater ambition at Old Trafford.
The defeat in the Spanish capital left United without a win in five matches in all competitions. Their evening worsened in the 74th minute, when Leny Yoro was sent off for preventing a clear scoring chance.
Attention then shifted from the result to Martinez’s comments after full time. The 28-year-old voiced frustration at the club’s transfer business and what he sees as insufficient backing for manager Michael Carrick, with sporting director Jason Wilcox among those targeted by the defender’s criticism.
Martinez calls for stronger squad planning
Martinez did not soften his stance after his initial remarks. In a further interview with Peter Schmeichel, he repeated his concerns and indicated that he was prepared to face any response from the club.
Speaking to CBS Sports, the Argentina international said United lacked the depth required to compete with Europe’s leading sides across a demanding schedule.
“We have many games, we have to rotate players, and for me we don’t have the best squad compared to other top teams,” Martinez said. “As a club, I expect more.”
He said players and Carrick should be held accountable for performances, but argued that scrutiny should also extend to the wider structure of the club.
“I’m not going to close my mouth; we need to have more ambition,” he said. “I try to be positive and try to be honest. We have to change and do more because I think we are capable of being better. We have the players.
“When you watch the games on television, you see the players and the manager and you point the finger, which is right, we take the responsibility.”
Martinez added that United should be setting their sights on the biggest honours rather than avoiding difficult conversations around the team’s direction.
“As a club, I expect more,” he said. “We need more ambition. We need to talk more about winning the Champions League and winning the Premier League. If we don’t say the truth, nothing will change.”
Rooney questions defender’s timing
Wayne Rooney has criticised Martinez’s intervention, arguing that the defender’s public comments risk creating further problems during a poor spell of results.
The former United striker said the interviews appeared deliberate and suggested that Martinez’s assessment could be taken as a criticism of the players around him.
“I think Martinez was very premeditated,” Rooney said. “It’s sad because when you need everyone to stick together as players, you can’t be told what’s going on above you.
“I think it’s a bit disrespectful to his teammates as well because he’s disrespecting his teammates; he’s saying they’re not good enough.”
Carrick and United’s senior figures must now decide whether to address the defender’s remarks publicly or internally. The dispute has added to the pressure surrounding a side seeking to end its five-game winless sequence.
United return to Premier League duty away to Leeds on Sunday, October 18. It remains unclear whether Martinez will be part of the travelling group for that match.
