Peter Schmeichel strongly criticizes Lisandro Martinez after the Chelsea game and makes a big claim.
Peter Schmeichel has criticized Lisandro Martinez, suggesting he might be trying to push for a move away from Manchester United after their 2-0 loss to Chelsea. It was a tough day for Martinez, who gave away a needless penalty and was sent off after two quick yellow cards at Stamford Bridge.
Martinez first got a yellow for pulling back Morgan Rogers in the 59th minute, then just four minutes later, he caught Wesley Fofana with a raised arm while defending a corner. That second foul led to a penalty, which Cole Palmer scored to make it 2-0 for Chelsea.
After the game, Martinez, who had recently criticized United’s management following their Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid, was ignored by Michael Carrick as he left the pitch. Despite a strong first half, Carrick’s team extended their winless streak to nine games, with goals from Rogers and Palmer sealing the deal.
Schmeichel, a former United goalkeeper, did not hold back in his critique of Martinez’s performance. “This is all on Lisandro Martinez,” he said. “It was a really disappointing game from him. A couple of weeks ago, he made some strong comments against his teammates and the club, and it seemed like he was trying to force a move. He’s in the last year of his contract, and what he did today was hard to believe.
“He’s played in a World Cup final, yet his defending on the first goal was poor. Then the penalty was just unbelievable. And after all that, he walked off as if he’d done nothing wrong. It was really bad.”
In the post-match interview, Carrick didn’t blame Martinez completely. “I haven’t seen it on replay, so I’m not sure. It was a big moment, though. Losing a player at that point and the second goal definitely had a big impact.”
TNT Sports commentator Joe Cole also spoke about Martinez’s red card, calling it “unfathomable.” “He’s let Carrick and the team down with a huge mistake. I don’t know him personally, but he definitely let his teammates down at a crucial moment.”