Lisandro Martínez has delivered a scathing assessment of the Manchester United hierarchy, blaming a lack of investment for the club’s dismal start to the season after a 2-0 defeat at Atlético Madrid. Pablo Barrios and Ademola Lookman scored for the hosts, with Barrios striking after just 53 seconds, and United played the match with 10 men following Leny Yoro’s red card. The Argentina defender described the night as a “mirror” of the way the club currently are.
“Tonight it is easy to say the coach, easy to say the players but also we have to see other areas,” Martínez said, pointing upwards. Asked for his appraisal of the performance, he added: “Really poor, really poor. I have to control myself a lot but sometimes is a reflection of the mirror of how is our club at the moment.
“It is annoying, disappointing coming here and I am not seeing my team trying to get an amazing result here.”
Martínez was explicit about where he believes responsibility lies, calling for more backing from the club’s technical director Jason Wilcox. “I expect more [investment], 100%. I expect more from our technical director,” he said. “I have to be honest, 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. Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team.”
United won 12 of 17 games under Michael Carrick last season but made only three major summer signings – Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans – plus back-up goalkeeper Karl Darlow on a free transfer from Leeds. They have won only twice in all competitions this term and have suffered the worst start to a league campaign in 40 years.
Asked whether the manager had been backed sufficiently, Martínez said: “I don’t think so. He does his best. Every season is different. You can’t stay with what you did last season. The teams knows how you play, they know every detail, if you don’t change next season [it] is a big problem.
“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas?” he added, looking up. “I can’t say more.”
Carrick, for his part, said he had not seen the interview. “I haven’t seen the interview. I have half-heard about it. I think it’s a little bit the emotions of the game [talking]. I have to find out a bit more about it to be honest to decide what and if anything is going to be done. I can’t comment further.”
The United manager also insisted his side had “four almost one vs ones” and said he did not understand Yoro’s red card on a night when they could have returned to Manchester with a different result. “It is easy to look and think there is something deeply wrong, I understand that, but the players have been great,” he said. “There’s willing, and [they are] disappointed that they haven’t come out of here with something. We think we could have, should have.”