Lisandro Martinez slams Man United bosses after Atletico defeat
Key takeaways
- Lisandro Martinez blasted Man United's bosses after the 2-0 loss at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
- He said he expected more from technical director Jason Wilcox and from the club's summer signings.
- Coach Michael Carrick said he had not seen the comments and called for unity.
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez went public with his anger on Tuesday. He blamed the club's bosses, not the coach.
The trigger was a 2-0 Champions League loss at Atletico Madrid. His words put the club's summer transfer work under fresh fire.
What happened
Atletico Madrid beat Manchester United 2-0 on Tuesday. The game was a Champions League tie in Madrid. United's night went wrong from the start.
Pablo Barrios gave Atletico the lead within the first minute, according to Sportskeeda. United then chased the game but could not score.
Leny Yoro saw a direct red card for stopping a clear chance. Ademola Lookman then made it 2-0.
Read the full story of the night in our Atletico beat United 2-0 report. We previewed this tie before kickoff in our pre-match piece.
After the final whistle, Martinez spoke to Amazon Prime. He did not hide his anger. He turned his fire on the people above the team.
Martinez called the display really poor. He said he had to control himself a lot. He added that the result showed how the club looks right now.
Martinez said he expected more from the top. He wanted more new players to help the team compete. He said many rival teams had signed many players too.
Then he named the man he blamed most. "I expect more from our technical director," Martinez told Amazon Prime.
That man is Jason Wilcox. Wilcox leads United's transfer work.
Martinez also said the players must do more. He did not let the squad off the hook.
But his main point was clear. The club should have built a stronger squad.
Martinez pointed to last season. He said United had a fantastic season last year.
He said the club should have built on that base. He said the squad needed more depth for big nights.
Asked which parts of the team needed help, Martinez kept it broad. He said the need was general, not one spot. He said the base from last season should have grown.
Why it matters
Public attacks like this are rare in football. Players almost never name club bosses after a defeat. Martinez broke that rule on live TV.
His words shift the blame away from the coach. Coach Michael Carrick is under heavy pressure after a bad run.
The loss made it five games without a win, according to Sky Sports. Martinez said the bosses must share the blame too.
Martinez also backed Carrick in plain words. He said the coach did his best.
He said teams now know how United play. He said the club must change to move forward.
"You start changing, changing, changing managers," Martinez said. He then asked what about other areas.
His point was simple. Changing the coach alone will not fix United.
So what did Martinez mean by "upstairs"? "Upstairs" means the club's bosses.
It means the people who run transfers. It means the people above the coach and players.
Jason Wilcox is United's technical director. He leads the club's transfer work.
Martinez named him in public. That is rare for a player.
The row also points to the summer window. United signed three new midfielders, according to Sports Mole. They were Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos, and Youri Tielemans.
But the club did not sign a left back. It also did not sign a first team attacker.
The summer window is the period when clubs can sign players. Martinez thinks United did too little in that period. He said the squad is short on depth for big nights.
That gap showed on the night. A young defender, Ayden Heaven, started at left back, according to Sports Mole.
Three left backs were out with injuries. They were Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu, and Noussair Mazraoui.
United had lost four of their first nine games this season, according to Sports Mole. That is a poor start for a club of this size.
Martinez spoke after weeks of that poor form. His anger did not come from one night alone.
Boardroom rows have also hit other parts of English football. See our football regulator story for one more case.
What Martinez said, in plain words
He thinks the squad is too thin. He thinks the bosses should have signed more players.
He thinks the coach is not the only problem. He thinks the players must also do more.
What happens next
Carrick answered Martinez on the same night. He said he had not seen the comments.
"I haven't seen it," Carrick told Amazon Prime. He said now is the time to be together.
Youri Tielemans, one of the summer signings, had no comment. Sky Sports said he declined to react to the interview.
His silence speaks to the mood in the squad. The team must now close ranks fast.
United play next at Leeds on Sunday, October 18. The game is a Premier League tie.
It comes just five days after the Madrid defeat. A loss there would raise the heat more.
After Leeds, United face Como in Europe on October 21. That game is away. It gives the team a quick chance to reply.
The next few days will test United's leaders. The board, the coach, and the players all face hard questions. The way they act now will shape the rest of the season.
Martinez has put the club's bosses on the spot. His words will follow United into the Leeds game. The next result may calm the row, or it may grow.
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