Lisandro Martinez Urges Man Utd to Strengthen Recruitment After Atletico Defeat
Lisandro Martinez has called for Manchester United’s sporting leadership to provide greater backing after a 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid left the club without a win in five matches across all competitions. The Argentina centre-back said the squad needed stronger recruitment to cope with demanding European nights, following a summer in which United spent about £192 million on Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
Key takeaways
- Atletico Madrid struck after 50 seconds through Pablo Barrios before Ademola Lookman sealed the result in the second half.
- Leny Yoro’s dismissal further damaged United’s hopes in Spain and has added to their defensive selection problems.
- Martinez said the club’s technical director and senior decision-makers should have strengthened the group more decisively.
- United sit 13th in the Premier League with one victory, their poorest return after six fixtures since 1986.
- Michael Carrick’s side next travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United in the league.
Martinez demands more beyond the dressing room
United had entered the season seeking to build on what Martinez described as an excellent campaign last term, but their return to European football’s leading stage has instead exposed concerns over the depth of the squad.
The defender was visibly frustrated after the final whistle and said he had to restrain himself when discussing the club’s current position. Martinez argued that United needed to respond to the way rival teams have assembled deeper squads, while conceding Atletico were deserved winners and possess an impressive group of players.
He said responsibility could not sit solely with those on the pitch. While accepting that the players must improve, Martinez said a team needs a sufficiently powerful squad before it can be expected to cope with fixtures of this level. He specifically said he expected more from the technical director.
Martinez also expressed disappointment that United did not show enough in Madrid to pursue a major result. In his view, the foundations created last season have not been carried into the present campaign.
Asked about the pressure around Carrick, the 28-year-old rejected the idea that repeatedly replacing managers would resolve the wider issues. “You keep changing managers,” he said in substance, before questioning what was happening in other departments at the club. He declined to expand further.
Leeds trip brings fresh pressure
The loss in Spain has intensified scrutiny on Carrick as United attempt to arrest a difficult opening to the Premier League season. Their single league win has left them 13th, and the six-game points total is the club’s lowest at this stage of a campaign for four decades.
United go to Leeds this weekend after drawing with Tottenham Hotspur last week, needing a result both to halt the winless sequence and to ease the pressure surrounding the head coach. The task is complicated by a depleted defence, with injuries already affecting the back line and Yoro now facing suspension following his red card against Atletico.
