Stephen Warnock quickly notices a very worrying detail just seconds after Lisandro Martinez gets a red card against Chelsea.
Stephen Warnock has noticed a worrying moment after Lisandro Martinez received a red card in the game against Chelsea, and Manchester United fans probably won’t be happy about it.
On Saturday afternoon, Manchester United lost again, this time 2-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Morgan Rogers scored the first goal in the 50th minute, but many think the game really changed when Martinez got sent off just after the hour mark. Warnock believes this moment might cause even bigger problems than we first realized.
After Rogers’ goal, Martinez got a yellow card for pulling him back, showing that frustration was building in the United team as they faced another tough loss. Not long after, VAR spotted Martinez hitting Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana in the face while defending a corner, and he was given a second yellow. The referee awarded Chelsea a penalty, and Cole Palmer scored, making it 2-0 and putting the game out of reach.
But Warnock wasn’t most concerned about the red card or penalty itself. Instead, he pointed out that when Martinez was sent off, only the young player Amad went over to talk to him. No senior players came to support him.
“He has let his teammates down. And interestingly, here you see the youngster, Amad. He’s the one who consoles him,” Warnock said on Match of the Day. “No senior members of the Manchester United team going over to talk to him.”
Even the coach, Michael Carrick, didn’t acknowledge Martinez as he left the pitch. This may seem small on its own, but with everything going on at United right now, it shows how divided the team is.
Martinez, along with captain Bruno Fernandes, has been one of the few players speaking out about the club’s problems. He criticized technical director Jason Wilcox and others in a strong interview after losing to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Right now, United are 17th in the Premier League, with their only win this season being a 5-2 game against Ipswich Town on August 30.
Saturday was only the second time Martinez has been sent off for United, but it feels like an important moment in his time at the club. After his recent critical interview, Martinez is probably not in favor with the club’s leaders. His contract runs until June 2027, but it now seems likely he will leave sooner.
Joe Cole, former Chelsea and England midfielder, even suggested on TNT Sports that this red card might mark the end of Martinez’s time at United. “Martinez, it’s run its course,” he said. “In a Manchester United shirt, he’s at the scene of the crime too often, so I think that’s probably his time done.”
The transfer window opens again in January, and United might try to sell Martinez rather than letting him leave for free in the summer. Several clubs, including Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, are said to be interested in signing the World Cup winner.
Fans were also surprised by what one player did just before Chelsea’s first goal, with a new angle showing something critics have called ‘damning.’