Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez has launched a stinging attack on the club's hierarchy, singling out director of football Jason Wilcox after a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid. He said the club failed to strengthen the squad sufficiently during the summer transfer window, calling the performance "really poor."
Martínez said the scrutiny should fall on the club's bosses rather than manager Michael Carrick or the players. United spent just £150 million on new signings, significantly less than their Big Six rivals. "I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]," he said. "As players we have to do more, but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night."
When asked about the pressure on Carrick, Martínez pointed upward toward the club's leadership. "You can't keep changing, changing, changing the manager," he said. "What about other areas?" He added that Carrick "does his best" and that the club must change its approach if it wants to build on last season's success.
Carrick declined to comment on his defender's remarks, saying he had not seen them. United suffered a third defeat in five games against Diego Simeone's side, and Carrick has won just one of his last seven matches. Carrick said the group remained together and wanted to win, adding that "the players have been great, results haven't."
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing