Senior Man Utd player responds to Lisandro Martinez’s rant, revealing how the team really feels
Manchester United’s players seem to have mixed feelings about Lisandro Martinez’s recent comments about Jason Wilcox after their 2-0 loss at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
After the October 13 match at the Metropolitano, Martinez didn’t hold back in his post-match interview. He called out the club’s director of football, Wilcox, and asked for more investment in the first team—even though United have already signed Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba, and Karl Darlow for a total of £155 million.
Martinez told Amazon Prime, “I have to control myself a lot, but sometimes it’s a reflection of how our club is at the moment. We had a fantastic season last season, and now we expect more from the top, from upstairs, to bring in more players to compete because many teams have brought in many players as well.”
When asked if more money should be spent on better players, he 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. It’s important to build a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night.”
Martinez might face a fine or suspension for speaking out, but he also praised head coach Michael Carrick, saying he “does his best” and urged the club to stop blaming only the manager. He added, “Every season is different. You can’t stay with what you did last season. The teams know how you play; they know every detail. If you don’t change, next season is a big problem. You start changing managers, but what about other areas?”
Carrick said he hadn’t seen Martinez’s interview yet, so he didn’t comment on it.
Now, reports say the United dressing room is divided. Some players admire Martinez’s honesty, while others think his comments made the loss look worse. Overall, most felt the team performed pretty well in Madrid.
Former captain Roy Keane also shared his opinion during a discussion on The Overlap. As Gary Neville read Martinez’s statement, Keane interrupted, saying, “Let me stop you there… we had a fantastic season last year. There you go, that’s where he’s coming from. He actually thinks he had a fantastic season. Wow, he should be fined two weeks’ wages for saying that.”
Manchester United has not said anything publicly about the situation yet.
They play their next game away at Leeds United on October 18.