Jamie Carragher’s words defending INEOS have gone viral after Lisandro Martinez criticized the Man Utd board.
Lisandro Martinez caught everyone’s attention with his sharp criticism of Manchester United’s sporting director, Jason Wilcox, after their Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid.
United fell behind in the first minute to Pablo Barrios, went down to 10 men in the second half when Leny Yoro was sent off, and then Ademola Lookman scored again for Atletico in the 79th minute. It was a tough night at the Metropolitano Stadium, with Michael Carrick’s team now winless in their last five games across all competitions. But it was Martinez’s post-match comments that really grabbed the spotlight.
Martinez didn’t hold back, saying he “expects more” from Jason Wilcox and felt Carrick wasn’t given enough support in the transfer window. Speaking on Amazon Prime and later in an interview with Peter Schmeichel, the Argentine defender, who joined United from Ajax in 2022, expressed his frustration openly.
“I try to be positive and honest. We need to make changes because we can do better—we have the players,” Martinez told CBS Sports. “When you watch the games, yes, you point fingers at the players and manager, and we take responsibility. But as a club, I expect more. I won’t stay quiet. We need bigger ambition and to talk more about winning the Champions League and the Premier League. If we don’t say the truth, nothing will change.”
Many Manchester United fans praised Martinez for speaking honestly, feeling his words reflect what they think. But not everyone agreed—some experts, like Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, strongly disagreed and defended the club’s board.
Carragher said on CBS Sports, “This doesn’t help anyone and will be the big story for days. Fans always dislike the suits upstairs, so some will support these comments. But I think it was wrong for him to say that now. Last season wasn’t fantastic—they finished third because Liverpool and Chelsea struggled, and the manager was sacked. The reason they didn’t buy many players this summer is that they’ve missed Champions League money for years.”
He added that without Champions League revenue, United can’t keep spending like before. Meanwhile, the owner group INEOS, who have spent big on players like Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba, are leaving the team short in other areas.
United desperately needed a left back but didn’t sign one, and now with Luke Shaw injured, Ayden Heaven had to fill in out of position against Atletico. They also needed a center-back, a left winger, and a striker but focused mainly on midfield.
So far this season, the lack of depth in key places has hurt United, and many feel the club’s owners didn’t back their manager enough, leading to the struggles they’re facing now.