Lisandro Martínez criticised Manchester United’s leadership and suggested that insufficient recruitment had contributed to the team’s dreadful opening to the season. Goals from Pablo Barrios and Ademola Lookman condemned United to a 2-0 loss at Atlético Madrid, with the Argentina international saying the result reflected the club’s current condition. “It is easy to blame the coach or the players tonight, but we also need to examine other parts of the club,” he said while gesturing towards those above him.
When asked to assess the performance, Martínez replied: “It was extremely poor. I have to choose my words carefully, but sometimes what happens on the pitch shows the true state of the club.”
He added that it was frustrating and disappointing to arrive for such an important match without seeing the team make a determined attempt to secure a positive result.
“I definitely expected greater investment,” he said. “I wanted more support from our technical director, Jason Wilcox. The players also need to improve, but building a strong enough squad for matches like this is equally important. We established solid foundations last season and had an opportunity to develop an outstanding team.”
United recorded 12 victories in 17 matches under Michael Carrick last season, but their main summer arrivals were limited to Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. Reserve goalkeeper Karl Darlow also joined from Leeds on a free transfer. The club have managed only two wins in all competitions this season, marking their poorest start to a league campaign in four decades.
Asked whether Carrick had received enough backing, Martínez said: “I do not believe he has. He is doing everything possible, but each season brings different challenges. You cannot depend entirely on last year’s approach because opponents study your tactics and understand every detail. Failing to adapt creates serious problems.”
“The answer cannot always be to replace the manager again and again,” Martínez continued, referring to the responsibilities of other departments within the club. “I cannot say anything further.”
After Martínez’s remarks were relayed to Carrick, the manager said he had not watched the interview and had heard only a limited account of it. He suggested the comments may have been driven by the emotions following the defeat and said he needed more information before deciding whether any response or action was necessary.
Carrick also argued that United created four situations that were close to one-on-one opportunities and questioned the decision to send off Leny Yoro. He believed his team might have returned to Manchester with a better outcome. Although he understood why the result could suggest deeper issues, he defended the players’ attitude, saying they remained committed and were disappointed not to earn anything from a match in which they felt they had deserved a result.
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