Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has launched a scathing critique of the club’s leadership, accusing them of failing to adequately bolster the squad despite the team qualifying for the Champions League. His remarks arrived in the aftermath of a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, a result that extends the team’s winless streak to five matches.
Key Match and Club Context
- Current Form: The 2-0 loss at Atletico Madrid leaves United without a win in five fixtures, with their last victory dating back to a 10 September match against Sabah FK.
- Leadership Stance: Martinez explicitly called for greater investment, specifically questioning the strategy of technical director Jason Wilcox.
- Contractual Status: The defender currently has one year remaining on his deal and has yet to reach an extension with the club.
The frustration voiced by the Argentine defender centers on a lack of squad competition. Despite finishing third in the Premier League last season, Martinez feels the club has not provided enough support, particularly highlighting the absence of striking cover for Benjamin Sesko and depth at left-back to challenge Luke Shaw. “We had a fantastic season last year, and now we expect more from the top—more players to compete, as many other teams are doing,” Martinez stated during an interview with Amazon Prime. The Red Devils finished third in the Premier League last term to seal a Champions League return for the first time in three years.
Martinez, who joined United from Ajax in 2022, argued that the cycle of sacking managers—most notably the departures of Erik ten Hag in October 2024 and Ruben Amorim in January 2026—does not address the fundamental issues. “You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? Last season we created the base to build an amazing team,” he noted. He emphasized that responsibility lies beyond the coaching staff, adding, “It is easy to blame the coach or the players, but we have to look at other areas.” When they had to come from behind, united’s only other win in nine matches this season came against newly promoted Ipswich at Old Trafford. With Erik ten Hag dismissed in October 2024, before Amorim was shown the exit door in January 2026, they have sacked managers in the past two seasons after backing them the previous summer. Martinez’s comments echo similar ones made by his Argentina defensive partner Cristian Romero against the Tottenham board last season.
The reaction from former United players has been sharp. Wayne Rooney, who attended the match, warned that such public remarks risk fracturing the dressing room. Drawing from his own experience of criticizing the club in 2010, Rooney labeled Martinez’s comments “disrespectful” to teammates. Ashley Young echoed these sentiments, suggesting the defender should have addressed these grievances internally rather than in the public eye, fearing the distraction could overshadow the team’s efforts.
Conversely, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson offered a more sympathetic view, noting that fans often share the sentiment that the club has failed to recruit effectively. “I actually quite like it—a player being honest,” Robinson remarked on Radio 5 Live. He did, however, question the timing of the outburst given the intense pressure already surrounding head coach Michael Carrick.
Carrick, who transitioned to the head coach role after leading the team as interim manager during a period where they won 12 of 17 matches, stated he needs to investigate the context of the comments before determining any course of action. The atmosphere at the club remains strained, with minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and chief executive Omar Berrada facing mounting pressure regarding recruitment, ticket pricing, and the club’s overall debt of £1.1bn. Which was enough to earn the former United midfielder a permanent two-year contract as head coach, they won 12 of Michael Carrick’s 17 games in interim charge following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim in January.
