Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez launched an extraordinary attack on the club’s hierarchy after their 2-0 Champions League loss at Atletico Madrid.

In an astonishing post-match interview, the Argentina international criticised the lack of summer investment in the squad.

The defender said he had expected more from “upstairs”, singling out technical director Jason Wilcox, in the most recent transfer window in which they failed to improve their options at left-back and up front.

Man Utd spent £155m on just four major summer signings after a third-place Premier League finish last season, which earned a return to the Champions League for the first time in three years.

“I have to control myself a lot, but sometimes it’s a reflection of how our club is at the moment,” Martinez told Amazon Prime.

“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.”

Asked whether he had expected more investment in the squad in summer, Martinez said: “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 also important to build a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night.”

Tuesday’s loss in Madrid extended Man Utd’s winless run to five games, piling pressure on boss Michael Carrick.

“He does his best,” he said of Carrick. “But 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.”

Asked about Carrick’s future, Martinez replied: “You start changing, changing, changing managers. But what about [moves his eyes upwards] other areas?”

Martinez looked up and then shrugged, saying, “I can’t say more” before deciding to add a final dig.

“Because also tonight it is easy to say the coach, it is easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas,” he said, pointing up and nodding.

Carrick and Tielemans asked about Martinez comments

It was a jaw-dropping interview that Youri Tielemans, one of three outfield summer signings, refused to comment on, while Martinez’s outburst dominated the post-match press conference with Carrick.

Asked if he agreed with Martinez’s view, he said: “Well, I haven’t seen the interview. I’ve half heard about it in the other interviews I’ve done.

“I think it’s a little bit on the emotions of the game as well, coming here and being disappointed not to get something from the game.

“Straight after a game for me is not the time to talk about that interview because I haven’t seen it, so I can’t really comment on that.

“But I think it’s important for us to move forward quickly, really. I think there’s a big game on Sunday, and it’s really important that we move forward and we stay focused on that.

“There’s disappointment within the group. I’m bitterly disappointed in certain things, and the boys are as well as a group.”

Rooney heavily criticises Martinez outburst

Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney speaking to Amazon Prime:

“It’s a difficult one because I always used to think I was outspoken as a player and you want to have your opinion.

“I think he has maybe gone a bit too far. That’s for the manager, and that should really stay internal.

“The fans want to hear the players speak; they want to hear the players care, so you can clearly see he cares and he wants the team to invest more money, and more players, and to do that he is probably one of the players who is out the door through his performances. His performances haven’t been good enough.

“But I think in some ways he is right in terms of the club needs to invest more, at the top end of the pitch and in defence as well.

“But it looks like that was a bit of an agenda; he’s wanted to say that, because that doesn’t mirror the performance. I thought the performance was better.

“It’s a bit disrespectful to his team-mates as well. He is disrespecting his team-mates because he’s saying the team isn’t good enough.

“Bruno (Fernandes) is the only one who has any right to come out and say anything like that as captain. And even then it should be behind closed doors if there are issues, which does happen.

“Players have conversations with the manager, the manager has conversations with the board, but that interview is not going to help the situation the club are in at the minute.

“That’s going to bring a greater noise around it; the players are not happy, they’re not settled, they don’t trust in their team-mates. That’s not going to help at all.”

Sunday 18th October 12:30pm


Kick off 2:00pm

Carra: It’s awful from Martinez

Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher speaking to CBS Sports:

“Doesn’t do anybody any good at all, and they will be the story now for the next few days, all about this.

“Now, as supporters, every set of supporters don’t like the suits or the guys upstairs, so United fans will lap this up and think it’s great. I think it’s awful that he’s come out and said that right now. I do.

“And when he’s saying ‘we had a fantastic season last season’, they didn’t. A manager got sacked last season. They finished third because they had no cup games. They weren’t in Europe. They got knocked out of the cup competitions very early.

“The reason they finished third is that Liverpool and Chelsea were that bad as well. Now we’re seeing the real Manchester United this season.”

Analysis: Martinez unlikley to last long at Man Utd

Sky Sports’ Zinny Boswell:

Everyone has heard a Manchester United fan voicing the criticisms made by Lisandro Martinez in Madrid. It is another thing entirely to see a player doing it.

Many of those fans will see Martinez’s comments as a necessary intervention to address an issue which long pre-dates INEOS’ involvement at Old Trafford but has certainly not been helped by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority investment.

Others, like Wayne Rooney, will question the player’s motives. Martinez has entered the final year of his contract and cannot claim to have done enough to have earned another. Perhaps he has been told as much. Players who speak out publicly like this do not tend to last long.

Cristiano Ronaldo called out the Glazers in 2022 in his famous Piers Morgan interview and left United within a week. Martinez’s compatriot Cristian Romero criticised Spurs’ hierarchy in January in an Instagram post and was gone by the summer.

Irrespective of Martinez’s motivation, it is hard to argue with his point. United set Carrick up for a fall by failing to sign a left-back or a striker over the summer. The midfield rebuild that was hyped up for many months before the summer has not lived up to expectation either.

It is hard to understand quite what the plan is at United looking back at the last few years. United have had three managers in that window of time. Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick. All with different approaches that bear little resemblance to the other.

Martinez’s comments will not help Carrick. But given the sense of hopelessness that has engulfed the fanbase, you can understand why some will welcome his comments. Martinez is right in saying United’s issues stretch far beyond the manager.

Your views on Martinez’s interview…

Steve: Martinez is 100 per cent right. The board are an absolute disgrace; the biggest club in the world and yet they persist with the same defenders we’ve had for five years. Teams know our weaknesses; the board have once again let the manager down badly.

Jonesy: I don’t agree with Martinez. They had money, but spent it on players like Andrey Santos who can’t get in the Chelsea team – what makes him good enough for Utd? I saw professional players unable to execute simple passes, and lapses of concentration in defence, again. Not good enough!

Date D: You can change the manager as much as you want, but when the hierarchy stays the same, you get the same results. Well done, Martinez!

Ciara: For once, a Man Utd player coming out to call out hierarchy. What a legend.

Dantoken: I stand with him. Nothing changes until changes are made at the top of the club.

Garbs: Agree with Martinez, squad should be bigger and more quality. The main issues are with those above off the pitch.

Man Utd’s next six fixtures

Leeds (A) – Premier League – Sunday October 18, live on Sky Sports

Como (A) – Champions League – Wednesday October 21

Bournemouth (H) – Premier League – Sunday October 25, live on Sky Sports

Chelsea (A) – Premier League – Saturday October 31

Roma (H) – Champions League – Tuesday November 3

Aston Villa (H) – Premier League – Sunday November 8, live on Sky Sports