Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez launched an extraordinary attack on the club's hierarchy after their 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid. In a striking post-match interview with Amazon Prime, the Argentina international criticised the lack of summer investment in the squad.
The defender said he had expected more from "upstairs", singling out technical director Jason Wilcox after a transfer window in which United failed to improve their options at left-back and up front. "I have to control myself a lot, but sometimes it's a reflection of how our club is at the moment," Martinez said. "We had a fantastic season last season, and now we expect more from the top."
Asked whether he had expected more investment, Martinez replied: "Yes, 100 per cent. I expect more from our technical director. I have to be honest. And also, as a player, we have to do more." Tuesday's loss extended United's winless run to five games, piling pressure on manager Michael Carrick.
Asked about Carrick's future, Martinez said: "You start changing, changing, changing managers. But what about other areas?" When questioned about the comments, Carrick said he had not seen them and that now is the time to be together and work through the difficult spell. Former United striker Wayne Rooney, the club's all-time leading scorer, said Martinez had "maybe gone a bit too far" and that such matters should stay internal.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing