Martinez: It's Easy to Blame the Coach

Lisandro Martinez, the Manchester United defender, strongly criticized the club’s management for what he deemed a lack of investment during the summer transfer window, following a 2-0 defeat to Spanish side Atletico Madrid in the second matchday of the UEFA Champions League. Speaking to Amazon Prime after the loss, and responding to a question about his team’s performance against Atletico, Martinez said: “The performance was very poor.” The 28-year-old international defender added: “I have to keep myself in check a lot, but sometimes this is a reflection of our club’s current state.”

Martinez insisted he had expected “100 percent” greater investment in the squad during the summer window, after Manchester United finished third in the Premier League last season, thereby securing a return to Europe’s premier competition. He continued: “I expect more from our manager (Ruben Amorim), honestly, in terms of players. We need to put in more effort, but it is also important that when building a strong team, it is ready for matches like this.” Last season, Martinez had stated that the club had “laid the foundation for an amazing team,” a promise that has not yet been fulfilled.

Pressure is mounting on manager Michael Carrick after five winless matches, but Martinez suggested that sacking the English coach is not the solution. He added: “You can’t keep changing the manager. What about the other areas? I can’t say more.” He went on: “Tonight, it’s easy to blame the manager, and it’s easy to blame the players, but we also need to look at other aspects.”

Jim Ratcliffe, one of Manchester United’s shareholders, was present at the stadium to witness his team’s defeat in the new-look group stage against Atletico, who reached the semi-finals last season.

In a related development, former United and England striker Wayne Rooney said Martinez’s criticisms were exaggerated. Speaking to Amazon Prime, Rooney added: “I think he perhaps overdid it a bit, and it would have been better to keep it internal.” He continued: “Clearly, he is concerned and wants the club to invest more money in new players. And to achieve that, perhaps he is one of the players who will leave, if I’m being honest.”